A Cinderella of Sorts
by jaredxkimx4ever
Summary: Kimberli Birche was merely a slave to her parents and invisible at school. Until she gets noticed by long-time crush, Jared, and a lot of strange, terrifying things start happening. Will she ever get her happy ending?
1. Chapter 1

Fear, the one thing that every person has, lots of times it's superficial, but everyone fears something. The cheerleader captain fears she will one day become fat or ugly; a superficial fear. The nerd on the front row of the classroom wonders if he will ever get a girlfriend, another superficial fear.

I have a fear just like them, I don't know if it's superficial or not. I fear that I will never be noticed by my long time crush, Jared Taqueem.

* * *

I've had the same classes with him since the third grade. I'd just gotten out of my mom's car and I tripped on the way out, and skinned my knee on the concrete of the sidewalk. I didn't cry, I had learned no matter what I did my parents would never care or notice, so I sucked up the pain and trudged my way up to the tribal elementary school. I glanced behind me, just in time to see my mom drive away without *bidding me goodbye**.**

"Hey, are you okay?"

I turned back around to see a little boy, not much taller than me, looking at me curiously. I cocked my head to the side. No one had ever asked me that before.

"Um, yeah.. I just fell, that's all." I managed to stutter out. He was actually kind of cute.

"You sure?" he prodded, a sceptical look on his face. I nodded, my cheeks flaming a bright red. "Okey-dokey. I'm Jared. What's your name?" he asked. Before I could answer his friend called to him from the other side of the school yard. "Sorry, gotta go. You should be more careful though, Okay?" he told me as he ran off to talk to his friend.

From that day on, I had been completely and totally in love with the only person who had ever noticed me enough to ask if I was okay.

~Ten Years Later~

"Kim! Why don't I have any shampoo?" my mom screeched from the bathroom.

_Oh crap_, I thought, _here we go again_.

When I was a child, my parents never noticed me, and if they did notice me it was only because I had something they wanted, or I was in the way. "Kim, could you move? You're blocking the T.V." or "Kim, I need you to do the laundry and dishes this weekend, okay?" were good examples of what I was usually told.

No 'please', no 'thank you', no 'I love you'. I became more and more of a servant to them as I got older. I went from being invisible in their eyes, to being a meek slave.

"Kim!" My mom screeched again.

_Ugh, now what am I gonna do?_ I grimaced. Whenever she found something she didn't like, she started blaming me for it. Like I'm supposed to notice she didn't have any shampoo. I don't even shower in her bathroom. I had a small bathtub in my room, which is actually the attic, and I had to use a hand pump to put water in it, cold water at that.

"Coming!" I yelled down the attic stairwell. I jumped out of bed, where I was writing in my diary, and grabbed my cucumber and melon shampoo bottle, hoping she would take it and not get mad at me.

I sprinted downstairs and into my mom's bathroom. "Here, you can use mine," I offered the shampoo bottle to her hesitantly.

"Fine, but you're going to buy me some more today, after school!" She ordered before snatching it out of my hand. "After everything I do for you…,"she trailed off.

I turned around and slunk back upstairs, not bothering to say anything to her. I was dismissed.

I closed my diary and stuck it back under my small mattress. I dressed in a pair of well-worn jeans and a plain, black t-shirt, with a pair of black converses. I looked in the small mirror on my wall. I'm plain, I thought. My eyes are almond shaped and a muddy brown, my mouth is a bit too small for my face, and my cheekbones are a little too wide to be considered attractive. My skin is probably my best feature. It was smooth, a russet/mocha color that never had a blemish, and was soft as velvet. My hair was super wavy and completely untameable, so more often than not, I pulled it back in a ponytail. I let my eyebrow length bangs down and then gargled with mouthwash. I'd just run out of toothpaste and made a mental note to buy some after school today. Grabbing my backpack, I walked downstairs.

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed some cherry Pop-Tarts. My dad sat at the table reading the newspaper, and my mom came out of the bathroom, wrapped in towels. Neither acknowledged me, so sighing I slipped silently out of the house and down the street to the bus stop.

I glanced at my watch: 7:00. _Right on time _

I watch the yellow school bus drive up and stop in front of the gathering of students who were also waiting at my bus stop. I waited patiently as all the students filed onto the bus, and then stepped onto it myself, taking my seat at the back. As usual nobody noticed me. I get off at the small tribal schoolentrance without incident, and manoeuvre my way through the throng of students in the small hallways, straight to my locker. A few people managed to push me into the wall, or onto the floor, but nobody noticed of course. I grab what I need and hurry to first period: Art. Mrs. Fitz is really strict and doesn't tolerate tardiness.

The period passes quickly and thankfully, so does the next one. In third period, I sit next to _him_. Jared Taqeem, the most popular boy in school. Football captain, Soccer captain, and student body president.

I shuffle into the chemistry classroom and take my seat next to him quietly. He glances in my direction once, and then goes back to talking to his best friend Paul Woods. I internally swoon. He has beautiful deep, brown eyes and curly milk, chocolate-colored hair that goes a little past his ears. He's like 6'2" with muscle but not bulky.

I sigh, _of course he doesn't look twice at me_, I think, _why_ _would he? He's Jared Taqeem and I'm just plain, old Kimberli Birche_._ There's nothing to look at_. _I'm not curvy like Theresa or big-chested like Vanessa. _

I pull out my notebook and start doodling on it until class starts. During the lesson I'm acutely aware of every movement Jared makes, as usual, I can't concentrate on the lesson. Consequently, I'm failing Chemistry. When the bell rings signalling the end of class, Jared stands up and strides out of the room with Paul on his heels. I gather my things and put them away in my small, navy blue backpack. Just before I cross the threshold of the classroom door, Mr. Gruen yells at me.

"Kim! Wait up!" I turn around and walk back to his desk.

"Yes?" I ask him.

"Are you aware you have an 'F' in this class?" he frowned at me over the ugly, horn-rimmed glasses that sat perched on his nose.

"Yeah, I know. Chemistry isn't my best subject." I lie. I certainly wasn't going to say it was because of the Greek God that sat next to me, besides junior chemistry _was_ hard.

"Right, Okay," he says, swallowing my lie easily. "I will give you two weeks and then if you still haven't brought your grade up, then you will need to attend after school tutoring with me. Sound fair?" he proposes.

"Okay, thanks Mr. Gruen." I reply.

The rest of the day passes quickly and before I know it, I'm sitting on my bed after school, waiting for my mom to tell me when to go to the store. I can't go anywhere without her say so_. _

_I __so__ need to get over Jared Taqeem _I think dejectedly_. M__y grade is suffering__,__ and he's never going to notice me._

With that in mind, I decide to forget Jared and move on. Little did I know, my life was about to change, and nothing would ever be the same again.

* * *

Please Review!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey readers, Hope you enjoy! Please review and check out my other story: Blind Love!

* * *

Anxiety is what I am feeling right now. I am anxious because _he_ has been gone for three weeks. Three weeks, is how long I've been waiting, wondering, and more importantly, worrying.

_Did he get mauled by a bear? Is _he_ sick with some kind of disease? _These were just a few of the frantic thoughts running through my mind, when Jared disappeared.

This isn't the anxiety I feel when I'm about to take a test. It isn't the anxiety I feel when I am called on in class for an answer I don't know. No. This was much worse. This is the anxiety I get when I think that I might never see _his_ face again, never get to hear _his_ deep rumble of a laugh again. I was stupid to think I could forget Jared. The truth is I am too far gone in love with him.

* * *

_Riiing_!

The shrill bell signalled the beginning of third period. Late students shuffled in, and I watched them eagerly, looking for the tall, gorgeous man I was in love with.

I sighed in disappointment.

_Not here again. Maybe I should go over to his house and... No!_, I stopped myself, _s__talker much__,__ Kim? He doesn't __even__ know you exist!_

"Sorry I'm late, Mr. Gruen." A deep voice interrupted my internal argument. My heart suddenly tried to leap out of my chest and my breathing quickened.

_Is that..? Dare I hope? _I silently beg and look up to the front of the classroom from under my eyelashes. I have to stifle a gasp.

_Wow_. Is the only thought that registers in my brain, as I gape at the man making his way down the aisle to Jared's seat. There is something familiar about the way he walks. Another shocked gasp escapes as I realize that the man _is_ Jared.

He isn't _my_ Jared though. He's different; very different. This Jared has a buzz cut and is even taller than before. He had to have grown at least five inches and put on fifteen pounds of muscle!

At my gasp, he lifts his gaze from the desk in front of him and looks over at me.

_Holy Mary__,__ mother of God_. I think in awe.

His eyes are still the same electric brown, but they're not the reason I'm so stunned. The look he is giving me is like nothing I could ever have imagined.

For the first two seconds he looks irritated with me, but then his expression completely shifts to one of ….adoration? How can that be? He probably doesn't even know my name.

I can't help but drown in his eyes. I have never been adored or even loved, and I guess you could say I'm having that neglected puppy reaction. You know the one, where the puppy latches onto the first person who shows it any kind of compassion? Well, right now that's me.

Ten seconds or so into the stare and I drop my gaze down to the chipped, wooden desk in front of me, blushing brighter than a tomato.

_What was that_? I think dazed, is _there something on my face?_ I swipe my hand across my cheeks quickly, trying to be stealthy about it. My hand comes off clean. _Guess not_, I think.

I peek back over at him quickly to find him still staring at me, but this time he's grinning at me. I blush furiously. He'd never turned the full force of his grin on me before and it was making me lightheaded. At my blush, his grin stretched into a smile.

_Wow, what a smile,_ I think.

"Hi," he whispers quietly, so as not to be heard by Mr. Gruen deep into a lecture on last night's homework.

"H-hey" I manage to stutter out. _Great now he must think I'm mentally retarded or something_, I grimace internally, but his smile just got bigger and bigger, until I think his face might split right in half.

And then he utters the sentence that crushes my heart so hard, I think I might cry: "What's your name?"

_I__'ve__ sat next to him for nine years and he doesn't know my name. _"Am I really that invisible?" I whimper quietly.

He looks confused at my question and then upset at the look of pain on my face. "What do you mean?" he asks.

"I've sat next to you for nine years, in at least one of your classes." I repeat my earlier thought. A look of self-hatred comes onto his face, and he looks like somebody just ran over his puppy. His mouth opens and closes but nothing comes out. I wait for the excuse that is surely coming, but instead of an excuse I get an apology.

"I'm sorry." He says, and his face shows that he truly is.

"It's not okay, but I forgive you anyway." I tell him.

His face lights up like a Christmas tree. "So, what is your name?" he asks again.

I blush slightly, "It's kimberli," I say, "with an 'I' on the end."

He grins teasingly, "Well Kimberli with an 'I' on the end, are you busy after school?"

My eyes widen and my blush returns. My chronic shyness once again takes control of my body.

_Jared, THE Jared is asking_ _me out_! I squeal inside my head. I can't bring myself to say anything other than a meek little "No." I peek at him from under my bangs and lashes to find he is still beaming at me. _Is that smile frozen on his face_?

"So, do you want to go somewhere with me?" he asks, looking at me with a nervous smile on his face.

"Sure?" I answer, but it comes out like a question.

"Great!" He says a little too loudly and Mr. Gruen hears him.

"Mr. Taqeem, I know that my lesson can put an ADD student to sleep, but could you at least attempt to pay attention to me instead of Ms. Birche?" he admonishes.

Jared doesn't even look at him, "Yeah, sorry Sir." He apologizes, not looking the least bit sorry.

"Very well then," Mr. Gruen concedes and continues with his lecture.

I turn to face the front and try to pay attention to the lecture, of which I missed more than half of. Jared continues to stare at me for the rest of lesson, making me lose my focus several times. Finally the bell rings and I gather up my things, and make my way out of the class at a quick pace, eager to get to lunch.

I hear someone shout my name, but I figure it's just my imagination so I keep walking. Suddenly, Jared pops in front of me and I run into him before I have time to stop. It's like running into a brick wall!

_Man he's built_ I think incredulously, and just before I hit the ground, two very warm, very large arms catch me and stand me upright.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Jared says worriedly, "are you okay?"

I step out of his arms, suddenly self-conscious and manage to reply, "Yeah, I'm fine. You just stepped out of nowhere and surprised me, is all."

"Are you sure?" he pries, "because I can take you to the nurse's office!"

"Really, I'm fine Jared, I just fell. It happens all the time. Thanks for catching me though." I assure him shyly. He grins, the worry falling from his face.

"Anytime,"

By now I'm sure my face is so red, it might be permanent. "Well, I have to get to lunch," I say, glancing at the Tinker Bell watch on my wrist.

I try to sidestep him but he stops me with an arm saying, "I have lunch right now too. Sit with me?"

"Su-u-re" I stutter out. _Talk like a normal person! How hard can it be Kim_? I mentally berate myself as Jared leads the way to the lunchroom. He gets a tray and hands it to me with a smile.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." He replies, and then he grabs a tray for himself and starts piling on a mountain of food. I gape at the growing pile and he laughs at my expression.

"You're going to eat all that?" I ask him.

"Yep" he replies popping the 'p'.

I shrug my shoulders and then I grab an apple, a hoagie that looks a bit mouldy, and a carton of chocolate milk. We pay for our food and he leads me to his table with his friends sitting around it.

Paul Woods and Embry Call take up nearly half the table, they are so big. I sit down next to Jared and nervously fidget under the incredulous stares of his friends. Jared notices my fidgeting and glares at the boys. They suddenly find their food more interesting than my face.

Jared then introduces me to them. "Guys, this is Kim." he says nodding his head in my direction.

Paul jerks his head once in acknowledgement, and Embry smiles at me. "Is she...like Emily?" Embry asks after seeing the way Jared is looking at me.

Jared takes his eyes off my face long enough to nod at Embry and reply, "Yeah."

Paul's head snaps up. "Are you sure?" he asks tersely. For some reason I feel offended at the tone of his voice.

Jared nodded again at Paul. "Then we need to go see Sam. Now." he emphasizes when it didn't look like Jared was going to get up. Jared sighed and then gave me the look of adoration.

"I have to go. Can I pick you up after school today?" he asks with a pleading look in his eyes.

I blushed and nodded. His answering smile was wide. "Great I'll pick you up out front okay?"

"All right," I agree.

Then leaning down he took me by surprise by kissing my forehead.

I was still blushing furiously when he, Paul, and Embry strode out the emergency exit at the side of the cafeteria.

_What just happened_? I thought. And then it sunk in, as I touched my forehead with my fingertips.

_Jared Taqeem kissed me! Oh My God! _

_And _with that thought still running through my head, I head to my next period in a pleasurable daze. All I could think was how I just fell even _more _in love with Jared Taqeem. In fact, I was so busy dwelling on the kiss he gave me that I was completely missing the signs that were right in front of me.

The signs that could have saved my life.

* * *

Did you like it? Please review! Next chappie will be up VERY soon, promise!

Much love3

Jaredxkimx4ever


	3. Chapter 3

Hey readers! Hope you enjoy this one! Please, please review!

* * *

Signs, they're everywhere. Sometimes they are literal, such as a stop sign. Other times they are metaphorical, such as a dove, which brings peace and love. Sometimes they are obvious, other times they're hidden, waiting to be seen. I was presented with both literal and metaphorical signs. I was just too wrapped up in my own world to see them. By the time I _did_ see them, it was already too late.

* * *

After lunch I went to my classes on auto-pilot. I didn't even know which subject I was in right now. The teacher called on me but I don't remember what I said to him. I was too busy having an internal conversation with myself.

_Jared kissed me_, _I can't believe this_! _It's like a dream_.

Pretty soon it was already time to go on my date with Jared. As I practically skipped to my locker, I found Jared waiting for me, leaning against the locker next to mine. He looked like he'd just walked out of a Calvin Klein Jeans ad. When he saw me his face lit up and he smiled at me.

"Hey." I say. _Wow__. I__ think I am actually becoming coherent around him_.

"Hey." He replies. Since its Friday I just grab the stuff I will need for the weekend and try to shut the locker door. It doesn't budge. This happens, every so often the hinges of the door rust and stick.

_Oh my lanta, please don't let this be happening right now_, I think, glancing over at Jared to see if he noticed my struggle with the locker door. Of course, as the fates would have it, he _does_ notice and looks like he is trying not to laugh.

_Great_, I think sarcastically.

"Need some help with that?" he nods at the locker door.

_Stupid, rusty locker_ _door__!_ "Uh...Yeah, please." I mutter looking anywhere but at him. He lets loose a laugh and pulls the door shut with only one hand. If I hadn't seen the muscles tense in his arm I as he closed the door, I would have thought the door wasn't stuck at all.

_Wow_, I think while looking at his arm, _now_ _those__ are strong muscles_.

With my eyes, I follow his arm up to his face only to find him smirking at me.

_Damn_, I curse myself for being so obvious, _he caught me ogling him. _"Thanks."I blush a deep red and quickly turn around, and start walking outside. When it seems like he isn't following me, I look over my shoulder at him, "You coming?" I ask teasingly. He laughed and nodded at me, and I smile and continue out into the warm, autumn air, with Jared on my heels.

Just as I step outside, a large crow came and swooped down, missing me by an inch with his beak. "Aah!" I scream, covering my head with my hands. Jared swats the bird with his binder when it swoops down again. It squawks and flies away. "Jeez." I exclaim, "what was _that_ about!"

Jared shrugs, "I don't know, but are you okay?" he asks me. "I'm fine, thanks." I reply.

He guides me to his car, it's a truck of some kind, and the blue paint is chipping off. "This is my baby." He says with a hand flourish, pointing to his piece of junk car.

_What is it with guys and calling their cars 'baby'_? I think rolling my eyes internally. I didn't want to offend him so instead of telling him that the car looked older than my grandma, who is 95, I give a nonchalant, "it's nice," and hoped he'd accept that as a good response.

He opens my door for me, surprising me with his gentlemanly manners.

_Aw, he opened my door for me! _My inner teenage girl squeals. He then jogs around to the other side of the car and gets in. After a few minutes of riding in silence, I ask him, "Where are we going?"

Jared looks over at me and grins mischievously. "It's a secret."

"Oh, c'mon!" I exclaim, "Can't I have a hint?" I do my best puppy dog face.

"Nope," he replies, clearly enjoying himself. I mutter to myself about boys and surprises in an annoyed tone and before I know it, we are there. The place Jared chose to take me was children's homeless shelter.

I look over at him confused. "A homeless shelter? I don't get it, what are we doing here Jared?"

"I volunteer here after school sometimes," he tells me. "If you don't want to go in, we don't have to," he backtracks. "We could go to the mall or something, but I thought you would appreciate this place more than some store, but if I was wrong-"

"Jared!" I cut him off. "Let's go in."

He smiles widely at me and we get out of his truck and go inside the small building.

When we get inside I gasp. There are children laying on the ground, crowded together, some sleeping and some not, but what made me gasp was that they all looked _starved_.

_These poor children,_ _do they even eat?_

"I know. It's sad isn't it?" Jared asks me. I look over at him with tears in my eyes, I feel so sorry for them, and nod solemnly.

"Come on, the soup kitchen is this way." He says, leading me with a hand on my elbow. I sucked in a quick breath and reflexively jerk my arm out of his scorching hold.

He apologizes quickly, "Sorry,"

_His hand is on fire! _I think worriedly, _he __must__ have a fever_! "Jared, why are you so hot?" I ask him and then blush as I hear the other way that question can be construed.

He laughs and replies, "Genes," pretending like his temperature isn't fifteen degrees hotter than it's supposed to be.

"I meant temperature-wise." I groan, embarrassed.

He laughs and says, "I know what you meant. Come on let's get started passing out food."

Then he turns around, not fully answering my question, and proceeded to the kitchen. I let it go, for now, and follow him silently, fully intending to squeeze an answer out of him later.

We get to the kitchen and I meet the regular volunteer people. There is Geoff, who is real quiet and looks to be in his mid forties, then there is Jane who looks to be twenty and she has an eye on Jared the whole time he's in the kitchen. I don't like that.

_Stupid college girl flirting with __my __Jared! __I _internally fume. Jared barely looks at her though so I'm not too worried.

Then last but not least there is Judy, who is about 60 or so, and the personality similar to that of a drug addict.

_Lovely bunch_, I think sarcastically.

They give me a quick rundown of what I'm supposed to do, which is pass out bread rolls and bottles of water. _Easy_, I think. _Not really_, I think a little bit later.

I was mobbed by a crowd of kids aged ten and down. By the time they all got what they needed, I was flustered and my jacket was ripped down the side because someone had yanked on it. I walked quickly away from the children and run into the kitchen. Jared looked up from making more bread rolls and sweeps his eyes over me, taking in my appearance.

"What happened to you?" he asks with a bit of a smile on his face.

I frown at the mirth in his eyes and said, "I was mobbed."

Jared suddenly let out a loud booming laugh and I scowl at him then turn a bright shade of red. Suddenly I hear a wolf howling from just outside the shelter. Jared's eyes widen at the sound and he suddenly looks upset. He glances over at me and I see 'the look', as I had come to name it, in his eyes, the one with a ton of adoration in it.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go." He apologizes.

"What? Why?" I ask, upset.

"I can't explain everything right now, but I will soon. Okay?" he tells me and then pulls me into a hug, but it's over before I can hug him back.

Then he is gone.

I sigh and say goodbye to everyone as it's time for the kids to go to sleep. I step out of the building and realize that Jared was my ride.

_Looks like __I__'m walking home_, I mutter to myself. The parking lot is deserted and the wind suddenly chills me. Shivering, I pull my jacket tighter around me. I'd only been walking for a few moments when I hear a twig snap behind me.

I glance behind and see nothing, but I can't help but feel like someone is watching me. I try to shrug off the eerie feeling. The crime rate is practically non-existent here in La Push. I finally get inside my house and lock all the doors and windows.

_Just as a precaution_, I tell myself. Quietly so as not to disturb my parents, who I bet are already sleeping, I tiptoe upstairs and into my room. On my small bed are a few sheets of paper. I pick up the first sheet and read: "Kim, your father and I are going to Seattle for the weekend. Here is a list of chores that need to be done. Bye."

No 'good luck' or 'we love you'.

I glance at the other papers and my eyes widen.

_A few things? __T__ry 50! _Some of the chores include: vacuum out the spare car, repaint the bathroom blue, and cleaning out the gutters.

_What the hell!_ I gape in disbelief at the paper. H_ow typical of them_, I think rolling my eyes. _Give me the hardest chores so that __I__ can't go anywhere this weekend_.

Sighing in exhaustion, as it had been a long day, I set the papers aside and I got ready for bed. After, I was dressed in my holey p.j's, I make my way downstairs to get a glass of warm water. It's a ritual I'd had since I was little. Heading back upstairs with the water, I pause on the first step of the stairs and cock my head to the side.

_'__C__lack'...'clack'...'clack'. __W__hat __is __that noise?_ The fine hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I listen for the noise again.

_'__C__lack'...'clack'...'clack'…_

_There it is again. _Thoroughly spooked, I sprint upstairs, not even bothering to try to find the source of the noise. I jump into bed and pull the covers up to my ears, trying to block out the incessant clacking that is still sounding throughout the house. It's no use though and I don't sleep at all that night.

The clacking stopped around daybreak, and I breathed a sigh of relief and got ready for the day. I walk downstairs and into the living room. I let out a shriek of surprise.

"Geez, Jared, are you _trying _to give me a heart attack?" I ask him, holding a hand up to my heart, willing it to slow down.

He gives me a sheepish grin, "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."

I blush, D_amn! S__till not used to that grin_.

"It's okay, but what are you doing here? No better yet _how _did you get in here?" I asked, puzzled. "I _did _lock all the doors, right?"

"Your front door was unlocked." Jared says frowning. "You should lock that by the way. It's not safe."

_I __did __lock it_, I think, going to look at the lock. I open the door and twist the lock open and closed, to make sure it isn't broken. It isn't. That's strange, I think, and then I hear the noise it makes and my blood chills.

'Clack'-open...'clack'-closed...'clack'-open…'clack-closed…

S_omeone stood here all night locking and unlocking my front door, _I think horrified, _which is possible because __**I**__ wouldn't have seen __them __from the kitchen or the stairs, but they could have seen __**me**__. _

* * *

Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Hey Ya''ll i hope you enjoy this little bit. please review! much love to my awesome beta CullenGirl30! you rock babe!

* * *

A Cinderella of Sorts

**Kim POV **

"Kim, come on, just tell me what's wrong." Jared pleaded with me for the hundredth time.

It had been fifteen minutes since my chilling realization: someone was in my house, deliberately trying to scare me. Most people in LaPush didn't even lock their doors at night becausethe crime rate here was practically non-existent. There wasn't even an alarm system. But I was scared because I _did_ lock my doors and still someone managed to get in.

I paced a hole through my living room rug, trying to think who would stand outside, or actually he, or she, could have been inside, and locked and unlocked my doors for the entire night. But try as I might, I couldn't think of anyone that even knew me enough to be my enemy. I concluded it had to be an enemy of one of my parents. You make plenty of enemies being a lawyer.

"Kim?" Jared asked again, snapping me out of my reverie.

I looked over at him. He was standing next to me, with a stressed look on his face. Then a thought came to me. _I wonder.._.No, it wasn't him but still, it would be nice to know what he was doing last night.

"Jared, what did you do last night?" I ask hesitantly.

Several emotions crossed his face: surprise, guilt, anxiety, before he finally fixed on an unreadable expression. I frowned, looking at him_, what is he hiding?_ But then I remembered I probably didn't have the right to ask, we aren't dating or anything.

"I slept, of course," he replied, looking anywhere but at me.

I frowned again, he was hiding something but I didn't believe it was him. Sighing, I plopped down onto my parents' suede couch and stared at the flat screen television mounted on the wall. Jared sat down next to me and angled his body in my direction.

"Kim, what is going on? Why are you so freaked out?" he asked.

I looked over at him and could see that I should trust him.

"Someone was in my house last night. Just before bed, I came down to get a glass of water and I heard this weird clacking sound. It was loud, and you could tell it was in the house. I got scared so I ran upstairs and didn't even bother looking to find the source of the noise. The sound didn't stop, it continued all night long. I freaked out because I locked all the doors and windows last night and this morning you find it unlocked. I also freaked out because the noise the lock makes when you turn it is what I heard all last night, up until about dawn." I finished, finally taking in a breath.

"Someone was in your house, all last night?" Jared asks through clenched teeth. I felt confused. _W__hy is he mad?_

"Yeah, I think so," I replied, nodding my head. He walked over to my door and sucked in a deep breath through his nose.

Instantly he scrunched it up in disgust, "How did I miss that?" he muttered under his breath. Jerking around to face me, he gives my body a once over. He nods to himself as if my attire is acceptable; I am wearing blue jean short-shorts and a green striped, cotton tank top with my hair up in a messy ponytail.

"You want to meet my friends, Sam and Emily?" he asks me. I frown at the subject change but play along just the same.

"Sure why not?" I answer, but then I remember the list of chores my parents left me for this weekend. I smack my forehead and quickly take back the invitation.

"Crap! You know what? I actually really want to, but I can't right now I have a very long list of chores that I have to complete this weekend." I apologize.

"Can't you do them later?" he asks with a pleading look on his face.

I grimace, thinking about how much trouble I would be in if I didn't do the chores and finish before my parents got back from their business trip. Last time I didn't finish the chores they gave me, I didn't get to shower for a week and I also had to sleep on the floor, because I had to 'learn to earn my luxuries' in my mom's words.

"Actually, no, the last time I put them off, it didn't turn out very well." I tell him. He frowns and runs a hand through his hair in a frustrated manner.

"I need to make a quick phone call. Can I just step into the kitchen for a second?" he asks me nodding in the direction of the kitchen. I nod and smile.

"Go ahead. I'll get started on my chores." I tell him as I head for the stairs to go upstairs and get the list off my bedside table. Well actually it used to be an old box from back when I moved into this room. I just converted it to a bedside table. I grab the list and notice that my pillow is missing and my small, triangle shaped window is wide open.

That wasn't open when I got up this morning, I think. I turn around and sprint downstairs and right into Jared's t-shirt covered, brick wall of a chest. He catches me before I hit the floor and steadies me with his hands on my hips. I am too scared to be shy.

"Someone was in my room! This morning, like before you got here but after I woke up. My pillow is gone and my window is open." I blubber out on the verge of hyperventilating.

"What?" Jared screeches.

He lets go of me and runs up the stairs two at a time. I follow after him and find him standing in the middle of my room, head tilted up and sniffing the air. _What is it with him and sniffing?_ I think.

He mutters a curse under his breath and whips his cell phone out to make another call. He talks really fast to the person on the other end and then listens as the other person speaks. He says 'okay' and then flips the phone shut and looks over at me with a much calmer expression on his face. He then smiles at me and I have to blink under the brightness of it.

"Sorry about that I, uh, remembered something I had to tell the guy I was talking to before. What should we do? Where are your parents?" he inquires.

"Out of town," I reply, still a bit frightened by the whole ordeal.

Jared frowns as he looks around my room.

"Why aren't they here?" he probes further.

"Business meeting," I retort. He frowns again, seeming displeased with something. I huff a sigh and decide to ask.

"What's wrong?" I query. He glances over at me with a sad expression on his face.

"Is this where you sleep?" he asks gesturing to the small, dank, attic room I call my bedroom.

"Um…Yeah, it is." I confirm looking down at the floor in embarrassment. I peek up at him between my bangs to find him shaking. He looked livid.

"Oh My God, Jared. What's wrong, why are you shaking?" I ask him worriedly, holding my hands up in front of me, and sidling closer to him to soothe him. He clenches his fists and whips his head from side to side as if to clear the anger out of it.

"Jared, calm down, please!" I pleaded with him; I reach him and gently place my hands on his biceps and rub, trying to placate him. He visibly calms under my touch. I breathe a sigh of relief and smile up at him.

"Better?" I ask quietly.

"Yeah," he grins at me, but I can see that he is still angry.

"What was that about?" I ask.

"They mistreat you, don't they?" he accuses, "You said it didn't end well last time you put your chores on hold. What did they do?"

"I lost the privilege of a bed and bath for a week." I whisper, afraid he will get angry again.

He suddenly lets out a very, deep growl. What _the hell? Did he just growl_ _like a dog?_ I think incredulously. He then yanked himself out of my grasp and ran out of my room, all the way downstairs and out my back door. I followed after him until he hit the trees on the edge of the forest and then I stopped.

"Jared! Jared, where are you? Why did you run away?" I yell into the forest. I was too chicken to follow him.

I heard a twig snap and I jumped. Then I heard a ghostly chuckle, right after that I heard a deep, animalistic growl and turned around and ran straight back to my house too terrified to scream.

_What was that?_ I think frightened, _what if the thing that growled ate Jared? _

I get inside and slam the door shut and lock it. Sliding down the back of the door I start to cry, worried about the most important thing in my life: Jared.

I was so distressed I almost didn't see it: a single, white rose spattered with red liquid. I gasp as I realize what the viscous liquid is; blood.

* * *

Did you like it? Sorry, i am not a mind reader like Edward! let me know what you thought in a review!


	5. Chapter 5

Hey I worked hard on this one; hope you like it! Please review!

* * *

A Cinderella of Sorts

**Jared POV**

"Kim, come on, just tell me what's wrong," I pleaded with Kim, for what must be the hundredth time. I really wish she would open up to me.

Fifteen minutes ago she freaked out after inspecting the lock on her front door. Something happened, and I have been trying to get her to tell me, but she just paces back and forth across her living room in her own little world.

"Kim?" I ask her again.

She seemed to snap out of it and looked over at me, searching for something in my face. I stared back silently, giving her time.

"Jared, what did you do last night?" she asks me hesitantly.

_How did she…? Wait, no she doesn't know__,__ that's impossible__,__ and what does that have to_ _do with anything? _I think, bewildered. I decide to play dumb.

"I slept of course," I say looking anywhere but at her; I can't lie to her face.

I can feel her probing gaze on my face for a few seconds and then she sighs, seeming to have swallowed my lie and plops down onto her expensive looking light tan, suede couch. I follow suit and sit down as well, angling my body closer to her. She is staring at the blank, flat screen television mounted on her wall. It looked expensive as well; as far as I can tell the whole house is expensive looking so her parents must be rich.

"Kim, what is going on? Why are you so freaked out?" I try again.

She looks over at me as if contemplating whether she should trust me or not. She must have seen something in my eyes because she decides to tell me.

"Someone was in my house last night. Just before bed, I came down to get a glass of water and I heard this weird clacking sound. It was loud, and you could tell it was in the house. I got scared so I ran upstairs and didn't even bother looking to find the source of the noise. The sound didn't stop, it continued all night long. I freaked out because I locked all the windows and doors last night and this morning you find it unlocked. I also freaked out because the noise the lock makes when you turn it is the noise I heard all last night, up until about dawn," she finishes in one breath.

_What__?__ Someone is deliberately trying to scare my imprint__? _I internally rage. _Wait a second, what kind of human would be able to stand at the front door all night without a break? They would tire too fast. _

I walk over to the front door to see if I had somehow missed something when I came in. I inhale quickly, and immediately scrunch it up in disgust. The stench of leech was so strong my nostrils burned.

"How did I miss that?" I mutter under my breath incredulously.

I must have been too focused on surprising Kim to notice the smell_. I need to get the pack over here to investigate, __which means__ I need to tell her about my secret and fast. _I think sadly, I was looking forward to getting to know her the normal way first, but I had to tell her what I was and what she is to me, and soon, because for some reason she has a vampire stalking her.

I jerk my body around to face her. I do a quick once-over of her outfit to see if she is appropriately dressed to go meet the alpha of the pack, Sam and his imprint, Emily. They already know about her so I just have to introduce her to them. She is wearing a cute pair of blue jean short-shorts that show off her long legs, and a green striped tank top, with her hair up in a messy ponytail. Most would say she is plain, but I think she is the most beautiful girl in the world. I can't even see other girls, just a blur where their face should be. Kim's outfit is not exactly prom night attire but it looks perfect on her, I nod to myself.

"You want to meet my friends Sam and Emily?" I ask her.

"Sure, why not?" Kim says, but then it looks like she just remembered something. She smacks her forehead and takes back her acceptance.

"Crap! You know what? I actually really want to, but I can't right now I have a very long list of chores that I have to complete this weekend," she apologizes to me.

"Can't you do them later?" I ask pleadingly, wanting her out of danger and surrounded by mythical creatures that can protect her.

She grimaces as if remembering something painful.

"Actually, no, the last time I put them off, it didn't turn out very well." She says.

I frown and run a hand through my hair roughly. _Now what? I can't force her, I __**won't**_ _force her. __But s__he's not safe here,_ I think frustrated. I decide to call Sam and ask what I should do.

"I need to make a quick phone call. Can I just step into the kitchen for a second?" I ask Kim, nodding to the kitchen. She smiles her beautiful smile and nods her head.

"Go ahead I will get started on my chores." She tells me, heading for the stairs.

I walk briskly into the kitchen, and dig my cell phone out, and dial the familiar number.

"Hello?" the soft, feminine voice of my friend's fiancée, Emily, comes onto the phone.

"Hey, Emily, is Sam there? It's urgent." I ask her.

"Yeah, hold on," Emily said and I could hear footsteps and a faint 'Sam, phone!'

"Hello?" the deep gruff voice of my pack leader came on the phone.

"Sam, it's Jared, a vampire has been to Kim's house. He was here all night and she can't leave the house because she has chores to do and I won't force her. What should I do?" I rushed out, so I could finish before Kim came back downstairs.

"All right, uh, I'll gather the pack and we will come and investigate the area around the house, and try to stay out of sight. We'll see if we could pick up a trail. See you in twenty," he hangs up.

I hang up also, and start to go upstairs to check on Kim. I only went up a few steps when I felt a shaking Kim crash into me. I catch her and steady her with my hands on her hips. She's on the verge of tears and hyperventilation.

"Somebody was in my room! This morning, like before you got here, but after I woke up. My pillow is gone and my window is open," she blubbers out before I could get a word in.

"What?" I screeched. _The leech is __**still**__ here? _I fume mentally.

I let go of her and sprint up the stairs two at a time. I can hear Kim following after me. I tilt my head and sniff the air. I don't have to sniff long because the sickly, sweet stench that a vampire leaves behind is here, and it's fresh. The smell of something so vile and dangerous coming so close to Kim makes me mad. I control it, though, because I need to tell her I am a werewolf and bursting into a wolf right now is not the way I her to find out. So instead, I curse and whip out my cell phone and call Sam, keeping the conversation short and quiet, aware of Kim's confused eyes on me. I tell him the vamp is still here and he explains they will be there in a few minutes. I hang up and look over at Kim, a bit calmer now. I smile and she blinks, and a weird expression crosses her face. She looks…dazzled?

"Sorry about that I, uh, remembered something I had to tell the guy I was talking to before. What should we do? Where are your parents?" I ask her in pretence.

I can't exactly say there is a pack of werewolves coming to the rescue, and not to do anything until they get here.

"Out of town," she replies.

I frown as I look around her room. It's small and dark. It looks a bit like an attic as well. In fact, I think it **is** an attic.

"Why aren't they here?" I probe further.

"Business meeting," she clarifies.

I look around the room and frown again. Her bed looks like an army cot, her other furniture is just boxes converted into furniture. She has a bathtub that looks like it is from the 1800's; it has a hand pump. It looks like her parents give her the bare essentials and she roughs it. I remembered she said she has a lot of chores, and the last time she didn't do them she was punished. _What is she, like, their servant?_ I think upset.

"What's wrong?" she asks me.

I look over at her.

"Is this where you sleep?" I ask her, gesturing to the room.

"Um…Yeah, it is," she says looking down at the floor in embarrassment.

I get real angry, real fast. _How can they treat their own daughter like a dog__? _I think furiously. I start to shake and I can't control it this time.

"Oh My God, Jared. What's wrong, why are you shaking?" Kim asked me, worriedly.

I tried to tell her to stay back, I could see she was sidling closer to me, I didn't want her to get hurt, but my jaw would not unclench. I shook my head furiously, trying to shake out the anger. It was a futile effort.

"Jared, calm down, please!" Kim pleaded with me. She reached me and rubbed her hands over my biceps soothingly. My body calmed down, instantly, under her touch. Nothing brings you down to Earth like your imprint. For some reason, my body knows when my soul mate is around and it brings me peace to know she is near. Kim breathes a sigh of relief and smiles up at me.

"Better?" she asks quietly.

"Yeah," I grin at her, even though I am still angry at her parents.

"What was that about?" she asks.

"They mistreat you, don't they?" I accuse, "You said it didn't end well last time you put your chores on hold. What did they do?"

"I lost the privilege of a bed and a bath for a week," she whispers.

I let out an instinctive growl at the thought of someone mistreating my mate. I yank myself out of her grasp, and run downstairs and out the back door and I kept running and didn't stop until I was a few feet beyond the edge of the forest. I only stopped to take off my clothes so they wouldn't rip when I phased. As soon as they were off, I let the anger roll over me and I could feel the familiar shifting of my bones as they stretched, and the burning of my skin as it ripped. In the next instant, I was on all fours and I had paws instead of hands and knees. I could hear the rest of the pack, one of the quirks of being a werewolf; we read each other's minds.

'Jared what happened? Where's Kim?' Sam asked me. I let my mind go over the last few minutes, filling in the pack on what happened. Suddenly, I was aware that Kim had followed me and something had followed her; the vampire from before.

"Jared! Jared, where are you? Why did you run away?" she yelled into the forest.

I heard a twig snap and the smell of a vampire as it got closer to Kim, but I still couldn't see it. All the voices of the pack members were screaming at me to wait for them, but the only one that could stop me, Sam's, was silent. I could still see Kim and she jumped when the twig snapped. The vampire then laughed at her and that's when I saw him. He was sitting in the tree closest to Kim and looking down at her.

He had brown hair cut into a crew cut and blood-red eyes, the symbol for vampires that drank human blood. There have been vegetarian vampires before, and they drink only animal blood. He was wearing blue jeans and no shirt, but a black leather jacket. As soon as I saw him I growled deeply and lunged for him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I registered that Kim had run away back to the house. The vampire's head snapped up to look at me as soon as he heard my growl. Using his super speed he jumped down from the tree and behind me. I missed his arm by mere inches with my sharp canines. I turn around just in time to see him swinging his fist with super speed before he makes contact with my skull. His stony hand makes cracks in my skull and I see black spots as I struggle to stay awake. I fail, and everything goes black. The last thing I see is my pack emerging from the trees behind the vampire.

* * *

Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Hey ya'll, hope you like this one. Please review!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight and I never will. :(

* * *

A Cinderella of Sorts

Kim POV

My heart is pounding as I rise from my slumped position on the floor, and slowly walk over to the blood-spattered rose on the middle of my black marble kitchen countertop. I pick it up, careful of the thorns, and bring it to my nose. It smells metallic; the blood masking the beautiful scent of the bloom. My eyes wander to the counter where a single white card lays. I pick it up and read it. 'I hope you like surprises. Look upstairs on your bed.'

I shiver at the realization that whoever was in my house last night never left. Suddenly, the dark foreboding woods seem more welcoming than my own bedroom. I can't bring myself to leave, even though I know I could be in serious danger. My feet move of their own accord, leading me up the stairs to my bedroom. On the last step I pause. But before I can change my mind, I thrust my hand out and turn the doorknob then step inside.

My eyes immediately find my bed and on it is a medium sized box. I breathe a little sigh of relief; I was expecting something a bit worse. My body relaxes a little as I stride over to the box. I take off the lid and look inside. What I find there is puzzling: another little white card that says 'Turn around'.

I freeze and slowly turn around, my heart rate climbing to an alarming high.

The first thing I register is that the woman I see is inhumanly beautiful. She is tall with long blonde hair reaching her shoulders, and she's wearing a blue, off- the- shoulder dress that flows down to mid-thigh. Her most striking features though are her snow white skin, which is in contrast to, her deep, blood-red eyes. It took all of three seconds to take all of this in and for me to realize I should be afraid.

"Who are you?" I whisper.

I started trembling as she walked very, very slowly towards me, with an evil grin on her face and a predatory glint in her eyes. I tried to step back but hit my bed and fell on top of it. She laughs and keeps inching towards me. Her laugh snaps something inside me and my adrenaline kicks in as I leap off my bed, and try to sprint around her, to get to my door. I have a feeling she let me get around her because she made no move to stop me. I didn't care that something was off, I just kept running.

I was two steps away from the front door, when a white flash passed before my eyes and I ran into what felt like, a brick wall. I yelped and fell back on my butt, skidding a couple inches.

My eyes widen as I see that it wasn't a wall but the beautiful woman. She was no longer smiling, but the glint was still there in her eyes. My chest was gasping for breath, my heart was pounding, and my mind was going a million miles an hour trying to figure out the impossible.

_How did she…? She moved so fast, too fast. It's impossible to move that fast. And she was so hard, harder than concrete, and ice cold. What __is__ she?_ I think bewildered and terrified.

It's obvious she bears ill intentions towards me. I scramble backwards, towards the back door, hoping to get to Jared out in the woods. She just stands there and stares intently at me. I jump up and turn around to jog to the door.

"Aah!" I scream; she is standing in front of me now.

I stumble back a couple steps and scream at her, "What do you want?" She just stares and I start to think she is mute or something, when she eventually says, "Your blood."

I swear my heart stops as she utters this sentence quietly, but there is no mistaking what she said.

"What?" I gasp.

Then, so fast I don't see it; she covers the few steps between us and backhands me so hard I am jerked to the ground. I hold my hand to my cheek and feel it pulsating painfully. I clench my eyes shut trying to stop the ringing in my ears. I hear a cackling noise and I realize she is laughing. I muster the strength to start crawling away. I only make it a few feet when I hear the laughing stop and cold hands wrap around my ankles, and yank me back. I try to wiggle out of her grip, but her hands are like heavy vices around me. I feel her let go of one ankle and grab my hair, twisting it painfully.

"I am going to make you suffer," she growls at me.

I feel tears prick my eyes when she pulls even harder on my hair. I cry out in pain and she pulls me up so that I am standing.

"Why?" I manage to spit out between gasps of pain.

I vaguely see her smile at me through the blur of my tears and then she brings both hands up to my throat and squeezes, just enough to cut off my air supply. I claw desperately at her hands in a futile attempt to loosen her grip. The last thing I see is her evil smile and then black spots invade my vision.

_Jared…_

Anonymous POV

I let go of her neck as soon as I am sure she is passed out. Her body slumps to the ground and I catch it, and throw it over my shoulder roughly. Then I run at vampire speed out the front door and down the street to my mate's inconspicuous, black sedan. I toss her inside and get into the driver's seat. I pause for a split second and glance behind me, into the backseat, at the girl.

_She smells heavenly,_ I think inhaling deeply.

I snap my head forward and chastise myself for almost feeding on the girl. _Jackson needs her. Be good Elaine_. I think, pushing down my hunger. I haven't eaten in two weeks and all because Jackson needed this stupid mortal. _I don't see what's so special about her. _I huff internally. Clearing my mind of all thoughts except where Jackson told me to take her, I start the car and speed to the destination.

To Kim Birche's final destination.

Jared POV

I woke to the sounds of snarling and growls. I groaned as I raised my head from its place in the dirt. I inspected myself for injuries and found that I had phased back to human form when I got knocked out. I glanced over at my pack to see them fighting the vampire who had knocked me out. I guessed it had only been a couple minutes since I'd been out. I ran my hand over my head searching for a wound. I winced as my fingers probed the spot where the leech hit me. It wasn't bleeding, thanks to my super healing; one of the perks of being a wolf. I suddenly remembered the vamp had been after my Kim. I got very angry, very quickly. I growled as I felt the familiar shifting of my bones as I phased, and then I heard the voices of the pack. They were yelling in rejoice at my being okay and trying to focus on killing the vampire at the same time. 'Jared, man, you're okay!' Embry whooped, always the energetic one.

'We thought you'd died or something, dude.' Quil told me, before tearing at the vamp's arm.

'Yeah, what happened before we got here?' Paul, the hothead of the bunch, asked.

I ran over everything that had happened in the last few minutes. They all internally gasped. After seeing the leech was messing with my imprint, they fought with more fervor than before. If you mess with one of the pack members' imprint, you mess with that pack member! And if you mess with one pack member, you mess with all of the pack members. That's just how it works.

I join in the fight and snap at the vampire's head. He looked at me as soon as he saw me re-join my pack, and what he says next has me trembling with worry.

"You shouldn't have left your mate alone." He says with an evil smirk, and then somehow he manages to leap out of reach of all of us, and gets away in the direction the pack had come in.

Before we can blink, he is gone, and then the pack is running after him. I stay rooted in place by fear.

'Go check on her,' Sam's deep voice reverberates in my head.

I comply with his command and phase back and pull on some shorts I had left lying in the bushes when I ran out of Kim's house earlier. I then sprint the short distance to her house at werewolf speed, and tear open the back door, which had been locked. I frantically look around and sniff the air. I freeze when I smell blood and then I see the rose. It has blood on it. I pick it up and sniff. I sigh in relief; it's not Kim's blood.

Everyone has a unique smell to their blood and this blood smells too sour to be Kim's. Kim's blood has a honey-like aroma to it. I freeze again though when I see the little card sitting next to the flower. I follow the instructions and see the other note the vamp left her. I cringe as I smell the bittersweet smell of leech that is prominent in her room. This smell is different than the one who was here last night.

I frown in puzzlement. I then gasp in horror as I realize he must have had an accomplice and that accomplice came and took Kim while I was outside. I crumple onto the floor and forget everything but my Kim and whether or not she is okay. I am scared_._

_She could be dead already_. I think horrified, _No! She can't be dead; I can't live without her; I __won't__ live_ _without her._

With that thought, I stand up and march outside to phase and see if I can trace her scent and find her.

_Kim, wait for me. I promise, I'm coming for you. _

* * *

So...? let me know what you think! Feel free to give me some ideas!


	7. Chapter 7

Hey, this chapter is a bit dark, but chapter 8 will be A LOT darker, so beware. Hope you like this! Please review!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight.

* * *

A Cinderella of Sorts

Kim POV

I woke up in a dark room, disoriented and in a lot of pain. My head felt swollen to the size of Rhode Island, and I couldn't move. However, before I could begin to think I was paralyzed or something, I discovered I was tied to a table of some kind. I shook my head to clear it, and then cried out from the pain the movement induced. I tried to scream, but discovered there was a piece of tape on my mouth. I wriggled instead, trying to see how tight my binds were. I gave up after a few minutes, deciding they are too well tied for me to get out of. I just lay still, trying not to think about the pain in my head, but about why someone would kidnap me. I came up with nothing and decided to quit thinking at all.

However, there is one thing that will not stop floating around in my head; Jared.

_I wonder if he knows I__'m__ missing. I wonder if he's looking for me, _I think sadly.

_Of course he is, _I think, suddenly sure.

There is no denying the look that comes into his eyes when he looks at me. The look that tells me he would do anything for me. It makes no sense why he looks at me that way, but he does and that has to mean something.

I jump as I hear a loud clang, bringing me out of my reverie. I tense up, waiting for some other noise to indicate that I am not going crazy. There is a little click and suddenly the room is washed in a light so bright I have to close my eyes. A faint humming noise accompanies the light. I squint through my eyelashes, waiting for my eyes to adjust. When they finally do, I can see that I am in a very white, sterile looking room. I discover the humming is coming from the fluorescent lights on the ceiling. I also discover that the clang was the long metal sliding door on the wall, opening to let the woman who kidnapped me, inside. As I shoot quick glances around the room, taking in the mirror on one wall, most likely an observation mirror, the pale beautiful woman comes over to stand at the foot of the table I am laying on.

"Are you scared?" she asks me, with a slight smile.

I am shaking like a leaf when I nod. She gives a sharp laugh and then comes to stand beside me, on my left. I flinch as she reaches her hand out and pokes my bruised cheek with her finger. I whimper. Her finger is hard and cold, like stone. She brings her hand back to her side and I breathe a bit easier.

"You should be," she continues, "with what we—,"

A loud bang cuts her off. I jerk in surprise and her head snaps up too fast for me to see. But what I do see is the look of joy on her face. She sprints out of the room at super speed to greet whoever just joined us in my prison. I use her absence wisely, and try once again to wiggle my way out of the ropes tying me to the table. I freeze as I look down at what they have me strapped to. Then, all the pieces fall into place. The sterility of the room, the lights that not just anyone could buy, and the long metal operation table I am strapped to, all makes sense now.

I am in a makeshift hospital operating room. Tears start to leak out of the corners of my eyes as I start to imagine what the beautiful woman and the unknown party, intend to do to me in here.

_Jared if you're looking for me, please hurry_

Jared POV

It has been two and a half hours since the love of my life went missing. Through the imprint bond, I can feel what she feels, and when. Right now she is confused and upset, and what hurts me the most is, she is terrified and I am helpless.

I growl and howl at the sky. I am running around the edges of the La Push woods in wolf form and tracking Kim's scent. It ends at a river and I am starting to get frustrated because I can't find her.

The pack lost track of the other leech a while ago, and have turned to helping me try to track Kim.

'Jared, calm down. I am sure we will find her,' Sam, my alpha tries to soothe me.

It just makes me angry.

'Calm down? Calm down? How can I calm down when my imprint is missing? And a leech has her? If this was Emily, you would be doing no better than me!' I yell internally at him. He is about to protest, but then reconsiders.

'You're right,' he acquiesces, thinking about his imprint Emily and how he couldn't live without her.

I tune him out and focus on Kim's scent. I howl in triumph when I finally find her trail again. I take off running at full werewolf speed in the direction her scent goes. I can hear the pack running with me. Her scent goes all the way to the freeway and is mixed with a bunch of other people's scents, making it harder to distinguish.

'There are too many people on the freeway to go out there in wolf form. So, we have to stay out of sight and track along the side of the freeway,' Sam orders us.

I groan. That would only make it a harder and lengthier search and I can feel that Kim doesn't have much time left.

'Then, we better hurry,' Sam tells me, listening to my thoughts. I agree and we all spread out a little bit and try to smell Kim from the side of the road. I can feel her desperation and I concentrate, sending her a mental message that I am on my way.

_Hang in there, Kim. Please, hang in there just a little bit longer. _

Anonymous POV

I finally got away from that pack of mutts and ran all the way to the river that separates the small towns of La Push, and Forks. Once I crossed over, I relaxed a little bit, I was out of the wolves' territory, and they couldn't trespass over here.

I can't believe the girl I chose to kidnap was the imprint of one of the wolves. What luck? It will only make it that much more fun flaunting her in their faces. I walked at a normal human speed for a little while. I couldn't give away that I am not human now, could I?

After a while, I got frustrated. _How do humans stand going this slow__?_ I think, annoyed. I stop my slow pace and look around. _Ah, perfect_. I think smugly, looking at a car that looks like it can go really fast. I walk over to it and making sure no one is looking, I rip open the door using my vampire strength. I casually climb inside, pretending this is my car. Then luckily, for me, start the car with the keys that the driver left in the ignition. After I reach the place I had planned out for the puny human's torture, I step out of the car and slam the door, signaling to Elaine that I am back. No more than one second later, and she comes flying out and into my arms.

"How is the prisoner?" I ask her while kissing the top of her head.

"Terrified," she says smiling at me, "I can hear her heart speed up whenever I am around."

I grin at her.

"Good. Did you give her the shot yet?" I ask.

She tenses, "I figured you would want to do that."

"Yes, I would like to. Thank you. Go prep it for me, will you?" I tell her.

"Absolutely," Elaine answers, turning around and flitting back inside. I follow her silently then make my way to the back of the house, where I can smell the human. I pull open the sliding door carefully so as not to break it. It is made of steel but it is like paper to us vampires. I step inside and am very pleased to see that the mortal does indeed look terrified.

Her heart starts to speed so fast I think she might be having a heart attack. I smile at her and she pulls at her restraints and glares at me. _Feisty, eh?_ I think. _This should be fun. _I slam the door shut and run the few steps over to her. She blinks, disoriented for a second at my instantaneous movement.

I inspect her wounds. She has a bruised cheek, and I imagine her head probably feels the size of a watermelon. She also has some bruises on her ankles in the shape of fingers and her wrists are chafed from the ropes, but other than that she seems in good shape. She looks to have a lot of strength in her.

_That's_ _good__, __she's going to need it for what I have planned for her_, I think, excitedly. In the three seconds it took to inventory her wounds, Elaine had come back with the syringe of drugs I needed. When the girl see's the syringe, her expression is priceless. She looks like she was finally catching on to what my intentions were with her.

But before I injected the drug into her, I wanted to know her name.

"If I take that tape off your mouth, are you going to scream?" I ask her, making it clear in my expression the consequences for that would be unpleasant.

She seems to contemplate her answer for a moment and then shakes her head, no.

"Good." I say and rip the tape off her mouth. I want to hear her scream as much as possible, just not yet. She gives a little squeak of pain.

"What's your name?" I ask, while wiping the crook of her elbow with an alcohol pad to prep her for the shot.

She hesitates for a moment, looking like she wants to make a snarky comment, but then reconsiders.

"Kim," she says quietly, eyeing the needle in my hand.

"Well, Kim, this will only hurt, well, a lot actually," I laugh, "feel free to scream as much as you want now."

She is frantically trying to move away from me now and she is making little whimpering noises. I waste no time and stick the needle into her arm, releasing the drug into her bloodstream. Kim stops fighting, seeming to realize the inevitability of her situation.

"What did you put in me?" she asks me angrily.

"A popular drug that was used by the military in the mid 1990's for torture purposes. It's supposed to induce psychological pain and render you unable to do anything, but scream, by the time I get to the fun part of your torture," I answer with a grin. I couldn't wait to see what was underneath those skimpy clothes of hers. She blanched as I said the last part and shivered violently. I smiled wider at that. Then I left to let the drugs take their effect. I decided to play with the wolves a little bit, since I have one of their imprints_._

_Let_ _the games begin_.

* * *

Tell me your thoughts! PLEASE review!


	8. Chapter 8

Read and review! This chapter is the reason the story is rated M. WARNING: Implications of rape, molestation, drug use, and obscene language, with loads of violence.

NOTE: There is no actual rape.

* * *

A Cinderella of Sorts

Kim POV

I started to feel the effects of the drug that bastard had put in me a few minutes after he left. There is this loud ringing fading in and out of my ears. My head is buzzing and the fluorescent lights of the room have started to blur in and out of clarity.

_Ugh, my head is_ _killing me. How long have I been here, anyway?_ I think, disoriented. _I wonder if my parents have any idea __I've__ been kidnapped. I wonder if they care._

I groan as a sharp ache begins behind my eyes and clench them shut. I try to push all depressing thoughts out of my mind and focus only on the happy times in my life. A lot of them have happened with Jared: The first day I met him and he helped me after I fell, the day he asked for a pencil in class for the first time, the day he finally noticed me.

I start to cry as beads of doubt start to work their way through my optimism barrier. _Who am I kidding? How can he find me? _

_Why would he want to? Nobody knows me, nobody cares about me! I am worthless!_ I sob. _H__e__ can have anyone he wants. Why would he want me?_

"I am so scared," I whimper quietly into the empty room.

And then the lights spark and flicker out, and I am cloaked in darkness.

**~TWO WEEKS LATER~**

Jared POV

I have done nothing but mope around my house, howling in pain for the past two weeks. The search for Kim had bore no leads, whatsoever. The freeway was a dead end, and I was now, as my mom would say it, a deadbeat. I haven't given up on her, but as soon as her torture started I could feel everything that was done to her. Every time he cut her, I felt it. Every time he beat her, I felt the blow. The imprint forces me to feel her pain. I am useless to the pack, because the pain can hit me at anytime and when it does, I am rendered immobile due to the agony. Finally, after collapsing on the job several times, Sam ordered me to stay at home and let the pack find Kim. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, stop looking for her, but I had faith in my pack and I couldn't do much anyway since every hour or so, the leech that has her comes back to torture her more.

I remember when I told her parents she had been kidnapped. It was the day after she had been taken and I had walked over to her house, and sat outside her house waiting for them.

**~FLASHBACK~**

_I am sitting here on Kim's porch steps__,__ twiddling my thumbs to distract me from what I am about to tell her parents. I have not accepted that she has been kidnapped. It feels like a bad dream. I would be forced to say it to her parents though. From what __I've__ seen of the way they treat her, I doubt they are going to be heartbroken. Sam had ordered me to though__,__ so here I am. Finally__,__ after I had been sitting for what seems like hours, I see a bright, cherry red Porsche and a navy blue Toyota Celica pull into the driveway and park. Out of the Porsche comes an average height, blonde-haired woman with a pinched look to her features. She stops in her tracks as soon as she sees me. I notice that she stands up straighter and kind of fluffs her hair._

_Ew__ I think._

_The woman is obviously trying to flirt with me. The man steps out of the Celica, __I notice he__ is very tall and has a lean look to him. He looks very stressed__,__ and unhappy to see me._

_So these are the so__called parents of my beloved__, I think,__ some parents__._

_I rise up off the steps and take a few steps in their direction. I can only imagine __what expression__ my face is wearing. My voice is curt with dislike for the two adults__,__ as I introduced myself._

_"Hello, my name is Jared. Are you Mr. and Mrs. Birche?" I ask them__,__ not offering my hand to shake._

_"Yes, that__'s__ us," the man says__,__ looking at me with curiosity. Mrs. Birche just smiles at me flirtatiously._

_I try not to grimace at her as I prepare myself to give them the shock of their life._

_"Your daughter, Kimberli Birche," I started and was interrupted by Mrs. Birche._

_"What has the little brat done now?" she __asks,__ with an edge of disgust in her voice._

_I feel a spark of anger at her tone and __for__ calling Kim a brat. I frown at her and make sure to put an edge of annoyance in my voice when I reply._

_"She was kidnapped yesterday afternoon."_

_The woman has a shocked expression on her face, and her husband's face is stoic. After a few seconds the shock melts off of Mrs. Birche's face and a new expression comes onto her face, one I can__'t__ decipher._

_"What?" Mr. Birche asks me, even though I know he heard me. I stay quiet and let him absorb what I said._

_"Oh, well, um, what should we do?" Mrs. Birche asks me, puzzled._

_"I suspect the police will come over later to tell you all about the kidnapping, but I wanted to __tell you first__." I answer._

_Mr. Birche is still not moving and his __expression looks__ like it belongs on a statue, not a human._

_"Thank you for telling us," he says quietly._

_I nod and am shocked when I see a shimmer to his eyes._

_I give a second nod and turn around to walk away._

_"Jared," Mr. Birche stops me._

_I spun around and looked at him expectantly._

_"I know I haven't always treated her right, but I do love her. She's-…__, s__he's my little bumblebee, and she always has been," he starts__,__ and my eyes widen at his request, "So, if you see her before I do, can you…can you tell her I love her?"_

_My mouth is hanging open as I nod. Out of the corner of my eyes I see Mrs. Birche roll her eyes and huff in impatience__, waiting__ by the front door._

_"Thank you."_

**~END OF FLASHBACK~**

I had been bewildered when I discovered that Kim's dad had actually cared for her. His love for her was just buried under lots of stress and past mistakes that he had never taken the time to fix. I feel better knowing at least one of her parents loves her. I feel sure from the little I have seen of her mom that she doesn't harbor any love towards her daughter. Maybe deep, deep, deep down under layers of stuff, she feels the tiniest shrivel of maternity, but I doubt it will ever surface. I had a newfound hope for Kim's father after that conversation. That doesn't mean I like him, it just means I think he does actually love Kim. I have no idea what the bumblebee thing was about, though I have a feeling it was an inside secret thing he has with Kim.

_God, please keep her alive_, I silently beg. Suddenly, out of the blue, I realize the search for Kim would go a lot faster if we had the Cullens help us.

The Cullens are a family of vegetarian vampires who live in the town next to us. We made a treaty with them a long time ago, which is the only reason we've not killed them. Even though I despise the thought of any vampires near my mate, it's probably the only way to find her. So, with that thought, I heave myself off my couch and clean myself up. After I have taken a shower, I run outside and drive to Emily's house, where I am sure Sam is.

Kim's POV

I am alone, now. Jackson, as I have learned his name is, left a few minutes ago, but not before injecting me with another drug. I have cuts all over my body, as well as bruises. Jackson comes in once a day, sometimes twice a day, and either makes surgical looking cuts on my arms and legs with a penknife, or beats me with his bare hands. He makes me answer questions while he does this or he cuts or hits harder.

I am still a virgin, thank God. He hasn't done anything other than grope me in the past few weeks, and I can't help but wonder why. It's obvious when he looks at me that he wants to do far more, but he restrains himself. I am grateful nevertheless. Today was a cutting day and it only takes a few minutes for the shallow cuts to stop bleeding and leave the wounds throbbing.

I have discovered that for some reason, every day the cuts or bruises that have been made that day, disappear by the next day. It is bewildering, but I am in so much pain most of the day, I can't even think about it. I can no longer cry. I cried for the first few days, but eventually the tears stopped coming. So now I only dry sob. I am given a bath once or twice a week and am fed, only intravenously, while I am sleeping.

They give me heavy sedatives which make me sleep for up to six hours. Lying here, bleeding, I can't help but think back to the times when I was actually happy, and had nothing to do with Jared. There are not very many, but there is one in specific one that I remember quite clearly. I was seven years old and on that birthday, my dad, for some odd reason, was very kind and caring to me. It was the only year of my life where either of my parents had ever showed me love.

**~FLASHBACK~**

_"Daddy?" I yell from under my bed covers._

_I hear heavy footprints and then my door opens. I peek out from under my covers then breathe a sigh of relief when I see it is, in fact, daddy._

_"What's the matter__,__B__umblebee?" daddy asks me, coming over to sit on the side of my bed._

_"I had a bad dream," I tell him with tears pricking my eyes._

_"Well, where is Mr. Bee?" daddy asks. He is talking about the little, plush bee he won for me at a carnival. He said it would buzz away the bad dreams. After that I loved bees, so when I dressed up as a bee for Halloween__,__ and wouldn't take the costume off for weeks, he started calling me his little __B__umblebee._

_"I don't know, I couldn't find him before I went to bed," I wail. Daddy reaches out and pulls the covers down and picks me up. He cradles me in his arms and rocks._

_"Shh, it's okay, __B__umblebee. We'll find him tomorrow. Okay? But for now__,__ why don't we pretend that I am Mr. Bee?" he soothes. He starts making these funny buzzing noises after I nod my head__,__ yes._

_"Daddy, you__'re__ not a __B__umblebee!" I giggle._

_He stops buzzing and looks at me._

_"You don't think I sound like one?" he pouts._

_I giggle again, shaking my head vigorously side to side._

_"Oh, darn." he fakes sadness._

_He sits me back down on my bed and pulls the covers up to my chin._

_"Do you think you can sleep now?" he asks me, tucking in the sides of the blanket._

_I let out an unexpected yawn, I guess I am tired, and then nod my head slowly. My eyes were already falling closed when he kissed my forehead._

_"Goodnight, __B__umblebee," he whispered._

**~FLASHBACK ENDS~**

The happiness lasted all of two months. My dad had gotten a new job after that night and he never had any time for me. Eventually he stopped even acknowledging my existence. Everyday, I wonder what happened to us. I never find an answer. Suddenly, my thoughts are interrupted when I hear the door to my prison bang open. I open my eyes and look to see who has paid me a visit now.

Elaine's POV

I walk into the room and see that Kim is awake. I smile at her. I know it freaks her out instead of me being hostile to her. I leave that to Jackson. I walk over to her and try not to breathe, because the scent of her blood is saturated in the air. I stand above her and contemplate why she is so special. Jackson told me a few days ago why it is that he wants her. At first it was because he saw her and liked her, so he wanted to torture her. But then he found out an intriguing secret about Kim that not even Kim knows. Apparently she is not as mortal as I thought. She holds a power within her that many vampires seek. She has what is called the 'phoenix' inside her. If she was ever able to utilize the phoenix then she could control the element of fire. She could burn things, throw fire balls, set things on fire with her mind and so much more. If a vampire was able to attain said power, he would become immune to fire. So you could never kill him because although you could rip him to pieces you could not complete the killing by burning him, as is the only way to kill a vampire. Jackson found out she holds the power, when he tried to burn her and nothing happened. So, now he is going to torture her just a little bit longer and when she is on the verge of death, only then will we extract the Phoenix from her body.

_It doesn't look like it will be long now_, I think.

Kim's bones are clearly visible on her body and her skin is almost translucent. She is losing a lot of blood, which is the goal of cutting her. The phoenix apparently helps you heal quickly as well, because all her wounds disappear within a day of their making.

This fact makes it hard for her to lose a lot of blood, hence, the continuous cutting. We want to make her death as painful as possible. We don't want her to die too quickly though, so after each day's cuts stop bleeding and she is sleeping, we pump half the amount of blood she lost back into her body, along with the nutrients she needs to survive. She never loses much though, much to our disappointment.

I inspect her wounds, all of them on her arms and legs, and see that they are healing already. I turn around and exit the room at vampire speed, slamming the door on my way out. I was sent to check on her wounds by Jackson. He said he was a little harder with his cutting today to see if she would still heal as fast as before.

I _guess we have our answer now,_ I think.

* * *

Reviews make me update faster! Please tell me if I should have Jared save Kim or if Kim should find out about her powers and save herself. Let me know!


	9. Chapter 9

Please Review! This chapter is just a filler chapter. WARNING: obscene language.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight.

* * *

A Cinderella of Sorts

**Jackson's POV**

"That stupid little bitch!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

Elaine is standing across the room from me, keeping her distance while I rage. Ever since we kidnapped the girl she has been distant. Can't say that I mind, she has always been a bit clingy.

"We can't kill her, so what are we going to do to get the Phoenix?" Elaine asks me.

"I don't know," I growl at her.

I have recently discovered that because of the Phoenix's healing powers I can't kill Kim. In order to extract the Phoenix from her body she must be on the very threshold of death, and I can't do that if she keeps healing after I hurt her. I decide to take a walk to think about my predicament.

"I will be outside," I tell Elaine, striding past her and outside of the abandoned hospital we are holding Kim prisoner in.

Elaine and I had stumbled upon the place on our way into the state. You can't see it from the road. The only reason we saw it was because we were looking for a place to stay. It's falling apart on the outside. There had been a fire which had devoured most of the hospital. Apparently, nobody thought it was worth saving, so they just left it here. I had found an operating room down in the basement of the hospital, which was well preserved and only needed a little cleaning to look the way it was before the fire. I had just come into the state when I had caught Kim's scent. She smelt different to me than other humans do, and so I wanted to kill her, naturally. But then I found out she was the holder of the Phoenix, a power most vampires think is a legend. So I prepared for her torture and the extraction of the phoenix, only to find out that all my efforts were in vain. I growl and kick a soccer ball sized boulder, smashing it into a tree and shattering it into little pieces.

"Jackson, baby, something is happening to Kim," Elaine yells out to me.

I run back to the hospital and to Kim's room at vampire speed. I step into the room and find Kim convulsing violently, a dull turquoise glow emitting from her body in waves.

"What's happening to her?" Elaine asks from behind me.

"I think she is having a seizure of some kind," I tell her, "Come help me hold her down a little."

I walk over to her and hold her arms down at her sides. Elaine stands at her feet and lightly presses them down, keeping them in place. Before I became a vampire I was a doctor. I had been leaving work late when a vampire turned me. I don't regret it, in fact, I am glad I was changed. Even as a child I had hated the thought of growing older.

Kim stopped convulsing after two minutes and I let go of her. Elaine followed suit. I pressed down on a pressure point, right above her collarbone, and she immediately relaxed. Being a doctor had given me very useful knowledge about the human body. No degree in medicine could tell me what had just happened to Kim a moment ago, though.

"Did you see the glow?" Elaine asks.

I nod my head once in her direction, still lost in thought.

"Maybe we should research it. To, you know, find out what it was," she continues.

I am shocked that I didn't think of that. The vampire world records anything and everything, though sometimes the writings themselves can be a bit vague at times.

"Good idea," I tell her, "I'm going to start now. I want you to watch her while I am gone."

She nods and I leave the room and heading outside to go visit a friend who had all kinds of vampire history records and could probably help me. I don't have to go far for he lives here in Forks with his family. I head into the woods on foot and run at vamp speed to his house on the outskirts of the town. The house comes into sight after a few minutes. I run up the steps and knock on the door. I haven't seen him in years, and I wonder if he is going to be happy to see me. The door opens in less than a second and I see the familiar face of my old colleague.

"Hey Carlisle,"

**Jared POV**

"I don't know, Jared. I don't think asking the Cullens for help and putting ourselves in their debt is a good idea," Sam tells, me shaking his head.

I am sitting on the small leather couch at Emily's house, surrounded by the rest of the pack as I propose my idea.

"But Sam, this is my soul mate we are talking about. She is my life and if I don't save her what is the point of living? If this were Emily what would _you_ do?" I ask him desperately.

He sighs deeply and looks over to the kitchen where we can all see Emily preparing snacks for us. I can see the familiar look of adoration in his eyes and can see he is caving.

"I may not like the Cullens, but I do think they might be able to help us find Kim," I hear Embry pipe up in my favor.

"I agree," Seth, one of the younger wolves, interjects.

Sam looks back over at me and I can see he has made a decision.

"Alright we will all go over there in an about a half hour, the sooner the better. Go prepare yourselves and meet me back here and we will phase and then approach their house cautiously. If they deny our request for help, we leave immediately. Understood?" he says laying the conditions down.

There was a chorus of 'agreed'' and 'alright'' from the pack members. I am smiling widely when I thank him as well. I stand up bidding everybody goodbye as I leave. I drive back to my house and grab a couple pairs of shorts, just in case I phase and rip the ones I have on. I write on a sticky note to my dad that I am going to be out late and not to wait up for me. I am back at Emily's house in twenty minutes, and I'm ten minutes early. Emily smiles at me sympathetically, knowing I am wound up about Kim's kidnapping. She sets a plate of banana muffins down on the table and motions her head from me to it, indicating I should eat some. I shrug and eat two of them, while waiting for everyone to come over. In the next ten minutes everybody has arrived and is ready. We head out over to the woods behind Emily's house and phase. It takes us twenty minutes to reach the Cullens' place. When we get there we all wait in the woods as Sam trots closer to the house in wolf form, calling to the mind reader Cullen. The leech, Edward I think, comes out a few minutes later. He approaches us slowly as if to show he isn't going to hurt us. He is tall, lanky and has hair in the most unusual shade of red. I whine impatiently, he is taking too long. As he reads my thoughts he speeds up and reaches Sam in less than a second. Sam is telling him the whole story in his mind and the leech is staying silent, listening.

"Of course, we can help you," Edward tells us, "Please, come inside, so we can talk. We know a bit of stuff that you don't."

Sam chuffs softly and turns around running back to stand in front of us.

'Phase back' he orders.

We all comply and pull on some clothes after we are human again.

"Right this way," Edward says turning around and running back into the house.

We all look at each other and then follow him. When I get inside I see that the other vamps in this family are here as well.

_This should be fun_, I think sarcastically.

**Jackson POV**

"Jackson? Is that really you?" Carlisle asks me.

"It has been ages, hasn't it?" I agree.

Carlisle smiles at me and nods, opening the front door wider, indicating I should come in.

"You have met the family," he says nodding his head to the rest of his coven sitting around the family room.

I nod politely; I had met the family a couple years ago in Alaska.

"I'm sorry I really don't have time for pleasantries. I'm in a rush. I need your help with something," I tell him.

"Absolutely, let's go in my office," He says, leading me upstairs.

I follow and I am in his office in less than a second.

"So, what do you know about the Phoenix?" I ask him nonchalantly trying to put off that I am not as desperate as I am.

"The legend of the Phoenix, as in 'the power to control fire'?" Carlisle asks me.

"Yeah that one," I reply.

"Not much, but I have a couple books on it somewhere I'm sure. It's quite an interesting legend." He tells me.

"Do you think I can borrow whatever you have on it?" I ask. "I am doing a little research," I tell him.

I'm not exactly lying. I am just doing research, but he doesn't know why.

"Sure," Carlisle says with a puzzled frown, turning around to retrieve the books from his personal library.

I waited and he came back in less than three minutes with a few thick books.

"Here, this is everything I have that has any mention of the Phoenix. Just make sure you return them when you're done. They are really old and they are also original copies."

"I will," I tell him, already on my way downstairs. I pass all of them on my way out.

Before I make it to the door my eyes meet that of the red-head mind reader. He is looking at me suspiciously. I smile and make sure to think normal thoughts as pass him and run out into the woods. He didn't look like he bought it though. I make it a dozen yards or so when I catch the stink of mutt coming in a few miles away, heading towards the house.

_Oh, ick. The Cullens now keep the company of mongrels_, I think disgusted, _wait a minute why are the dogs going to the Cullens' house?_

And then it clicks: they are going to ask the Cullens for help in finding Kim. The Cullens are smart enough to figure it out too.

_Damn, I might need to move her_, I think, annoyed.

I decide not to dwell on that and continue on back to my place, going a bit faster so the pack won't run into me on their way in. I arrive back at the abandoned hospital and find Elaine is waiting for me outside with a freaked out look on her face. The feeling that something is wrong is almost tangible. I sprint at vamp speed up the steps, dropping my books in her arms and I don't even bother to ask what is wrong. I simply order her to put those in my office and I go right past her and head to Kim's room. Before I even open the door I see a strange green glow slipping through the side cracks on the gliding door. I frown and slide the door open, a rush of brilliant green light washes over me. What I see makes me gasp. Kim is glowing and it appears she has burned off her rope restraints and is levitating above the operating table. Her eyes are closed so I am sure she is doing it subconsciously. I close the door in Elaine's face and walk over to Kim's levitating body. I place my hands on her shoulders and try to push her down. The second my cold hard hands touch her shoulders, a spark instantaneously travels to my hands.

"Aah!" I hiss in pain at the burn and let go of her.

After a few more minutes she slowly descends and finally she thumps onto the table, no longer glowing. I let out a breath I had no idea I had been holding, and turn around and exit the room.

"Tie her down before she wakes up. Use steel cables, this time," I order Elaine as I pass her on my way to the room I have converted into an office.

I close the door behind me and plop down at my desk, exasperated.

_I need to work very fast._

* * *

Please go on my profile and answer the poll! Hope you like it! Too scifi-ish?


	10. Chapter 10

Reviews make me happy! So please review! One bad word in this and this is also a bit of a filler chapter. Next chapter is a pivotal point in the story.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight.

* * *

A Cinderella of Sorts

**Jared POV**

Edward knew the reason we were here due to his mind reading, and was currently recapping the whole story to the rest of his family. The entire pack, minus Leah, our only female wolf, was cramped into the Cullens nasty smelling house. Leah waited outside. Edward finished the epic account in sixty seconds, much to my relief. I didn't want to be in enemy territory any longer than necessary. All of the vampire's eyes are on us now as Carlisle stands up and takes a few steps in my direction. I tense up.

"You're Jared right?" he asked me, a kind expression on his face.

I nod quietly.

"I'm sorry about Kim. My family and I would be glad to help you," he says sympathetically.

The other vampire's heads nod in agreement behind him. I smile appreciatively at his family, feeling very grateful to them.

"Thank you," I tell him.

He nods and smiles at me compassionately.

"So, when would you like to start?" he asks me.

I look at Sam, unsure if I should take the lead on this considering he is the pack leader, he nods his assent.

"As soon as possible," I answer, anxious to get started.

"That's fine. You just need to get me something with her scent, and give me every single detail about her kidnapping. None of us are trackers, but we will do the best we can to find her for you," Carlisle tells me.

I hear some of the pack grumble in annoyance; they didn't want to be here any longer.

"It's alright guys. Most of you can wait outside or go home. I can tell the story the best, and I have access to her personal belongings, so you don't all need to be here."

Sam nodded and gathered several of the pack members, and told them they can go home. The few that were left were told to stand guard outside, in case there were any problems. Sam was the only one who was going to stay with me during the meeting. I had to run over to Kim's and grab something of hers before we started though.

I got into her house without a problem, her father liked me now. I grabbed a hairbrush and made it back to the Cullens house in less than twenty minutes. When I returned, I found Carlisle deep in discussion with Edward. They were talking too fast for me to hear. Sam was sitting on the couch across from the five other vampires in the house. I cleared my throat and walked further into the room. All eyes turned to me.

"So, let's get this thing started."

**Carlisle POV**

As soon as Edward said they were looking for one of their pack member's imprint, who had been kidnapped by a vampire, I suspected Jackson. Edward apparently agreed. Something was up with Jackson, appearing out of the blue and asking for help, saying he was in a hurry, because he kept giving me glances throughout the whole one-on-one with Jared.

My suspicions were growing more defined as I heard all about Kim's kidnapping. I have known Jackson since before I was changed. I had always been taken with medicine and helping people, so even though I hadn't been an official doctor then, I still worked at a hospital, helping the doctors out. I had been twenty. Jackson was twenty four and a new doctor at the hospital, and I had been friends with him ever since. I'd learnt things about him, not everybody knew. This kidnapping sounded a lot like his style. But he had to have had help, and last time I checked in with him he was not mated with anyone, or in a coven.

Jared finished telling me everything as I conclude that Jackson was the most likely vampire. I sigh, he had been a good friend all these years, and to find out now that I may have to hurt him, well it put me in a dismal mood.

_We should tell them_, I think to Edward.

He nods infinitesimally and I turn to the two werewolves in my house.

"Outside, before we came in, Edward said that you guys know something we don't," Sam starts, "what don't we know?"

I inhale deeply and exhale slowly.

"An old friend of mine is in the area. There are signs that point to him having Kim."

Jared's eyes widen and he gasps in surprise. Sam just sits up straighter and looks at me warily.

"Where is he?" Jared asks angrily, once past his state of shock.

"I don't know. He came over here about five minutes ago and asked about an old legend…," I trail off, the pieces suddenly clicking.

Kim has to be the phoenix if that is what he's researching. I know Jackson and he wouldn't be researching something for no reason. It connects too much to be a coincidence.

"He asked for all the documentation I have on the Phoenix, so that must mean Kim is the holder of the Phoenix." I tell them.

"What is the Phoenix?" Jared asks me.

"It's an old legend about the power to control fire. Every thousand years or so, there is a human child born, with the Phoenix inside of them. The power lets you do all kinds of things with fire. It is a power sought after by every vampire because the person who has it becomes immune to fire. This means, if a vampire had the Phoenix you could never kill him. If Kim has the Phoenix inside her then, Jackson must be trying to extract it from her body." I inform them, dragging up as much knowledge about it as I could, from the depths of my memory.

"So how do you extract it?" Jared asked, on edge.

"The person must be on the very threshold between life and death. The Phoenix bonds with your soul and to disconnect the two, the soul has to be very weak in order for you to pry the two apart." I finish waiting for the anger that is sure to come at the statement.

"What?" Jared screams, leaping off the couch, shaking in anger.

"He is going to torture it out of her?" he continues.

Sam looks almost as angry as Jared. He stands up as well and puts a hand on his shoulder, a warning not to phase. I stand and back up to give him some space.

"We need to find her," Jared say.

His voice is husky with emotion, and I can see the glimmer of tears in his eyes.

"We will." I say.

I walk forward and lay a hand comfortingly on his shoulder, after he stops shaking and is much calmer. He tenses and then relaxes after a minute. Sam backs up when I walk forward. Jared pulls himself together after a moment and stands up straighter.

"You need to go home and rest. There is nothing more you can do. I promise, I will try to find Kim and if I find any leads whatsoever, I will call you. Okay?" I assure him.

He looks like he is about to protest but then just shakes his head and walks out my front door, and into the woods, muttering a gruff goodbye. Sam thanks me and follows him out. After everyone is gone, the rest of my family files back into the living room from various places in the house.

"Okay, well, you heard everything. So let's get started. I am going to go out and look around for Kim's scent." I tell them.

"Honey, do you want me to come with you?" my beautiful wife, Esme, asked me softly, coming over and laying a hand on my arm.

I smiled warmly at her and shook my head.

"No, dear, I would like to do this alone. If I find him I will contact you guys," I tell her, kissing her on the lips softly before exiting the house.

I step out onto the porch and sniff the air for Jackson's scent, and when I find it I manage to follow it all the way to almost a few miles off the border.

_Why would he come here_? I think, thoroughly puzzled.

There is a gust of wind from the east and I catch a whiff of Kim's scent in it. All of my senses go on high alert as I search for her. I follow the scent east and come upon the ruins of, what looks like, a hospital. I sniff once again for good measure as I get less than twenty feet away from it. Kim's scent is masked through the walls and concrete of the building, but it's there. I could also smell Jackson's fresh trail and a feminine scent as well.

I turn around and flee the area, silently, so as not to alert anyone to my presence. It is a big hospital with lots of rooms but there is no harm in being careful. As soon as I am within the range of Edward's mind reading parameters I start thinking really hard at him that I found Kim. He must have heard because everyone is waiting outside the house for me.

"Did somebody call Jared and the pack?" I ask quickly.

Edward nodded.

"He is on his way with them now."

I nod and only have to wait a few minutes before the pack shows up.

"I found her a few miles from the border, on the Alaska side. She, Jackson, and a female vampire are all in an abandoned hospital," I tell Jared when he emerges from the dark foliage surrounding my house.

He is in wolf form so instead of replying he just nods and snorts impatiently, gesturing to the woods behind him. I take it this means lead the way. I run off at vampire speed towards the abandoned hospital, with both the pack members and my family on my heels. We reach it in about a half hour of running.

"There it is," I say, pointing to the hospital now in plain sight.

Jared and Sam go behind a tree and phase back to human. When they come back out a moment later, they are both wearing cut off jeans and Jared has tacked on a very anxious expression.

"What are we waiting for?" he asks impatiently, before starting down to the hospital's entrance.

"Jared!" Sam hisses loud enough for Jared to hear but not for the vampires in the hospital to hear.

Jared turns around and glares at Sam.

"Don't you dare try to use an alpha order on me right now!" he hisses back.

Sam sighs and lets him go. Everybody follows him myself included. By the time the rest of us reach the door, Jared has been inside for a few minutes. We haven't even opened it when we hear a furious growl and screaming coming from inside.

**Jared POV**

I get inside and head directly for the basement, thinking it is the farthest away from the exits and it looks like the rest of the hospital might just be ashes. If he wanted to keep her from escaping the basement would be the best place. As I get closer, I hear muffled screams coming from inside. I speed up and when I reach the basement door, which is a sliding door, I pull it open and give a furious cry at what I see.

* * *

Please review! Cliffhanger! Mwa ha ha ha! Anyway, next chapter is a VERY monumental chapter and might take a little while to write.


	11. Chapter 11

This is the most important chapter ever! It is going to be the most climatic part of the story. It took forever to write it so I hope you enjoy it. Please review!

WARNING: There is attempted rape in this, as well as some violence!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight.

* * *

A Cinderella of Sorts

**Kim POV**

After Elaine had examined my already healing wounds and left, I decided I was probably going to be left alone for the day, so I closed my eyes and imagined Jared. I dreamt that one day we would get married and have children running around our little house, with a white picket fence. The dreams soon morphed into nightmares, though. The nightmare was that I would never escape this prison, and Jackson would come back daily, and torture me. I started to feel very warm as I had this nightmare, and started shaking and jerking. Pretty soon though, I felt a sharp pain at the junction of my neck and shoulder. It doused the fire burning just under my skin, and my dreams morphed into blank nothingness.

When I regained consciousness again, I was very clammy and everything was blurry through my eyes. Before I could fully awaken I fell back into the dark abyss of nightmares. I was having the same nightmare as before, but this time I had fire at my fingertips and I was using it to defeat him. Before I could escape, I felt the fire burn out as I was touched by icy fingers and I was trapped again. I woke to cold fingers on my arms and the pinching of the skin on my wrists, as they were wrapped in what felt like thick rubber ropes. It was a struggle to open my eyelids but when I finally did, whoever had tied me up was gone and there was fresh tape on my mouth and new, tougher binds on my wrists and ankles.

I groaned in confusion and blinked away the blurriness in my eyes. I can't get back to sleep so I give up and decide to think about the sadness that is my life. I have only been wallowing in self-pity for about an hour when Jackson comes into the room and he looks like he is on a mission. He instantaneously appears at my side. I don't even blink. His super speed and strength have stopped surprising me, though I still cannot come up with why he is so fast and strong. He smiles down at me while raking his gaze up and down my body. I am wearing the same outfit I was in when I was kidnapped; short shorts and a green striped tank top. My hair is no longer in a ponytail, but spread out around my head.

I shudder under his gaze and finally realize he hasn't come to cut me or beat me. He has come for the only thing, the thing he has been ignoring for the whole time he has had me.

_No, no he can't_, I whimper internally.

He runs a cold hand up my thigh and I shiver, squirming away from the offending limb.

"I am tired of looking for answers that I will probably never find, and want to have some fun with you."

"Mph, mm, mph!" my screams of protest are muffled by the tape on my mouth.

"Ah, ah, ah," he tsks. "No squirming and no screaming. The sooner you relax, the sooner it will be over with."

I can feel tears trying to work their way out of my eyelids as sobs start to wrack my body. Jackson pays this no mind and continues groping me. His hand is now dangerously close to my chest. He slides his hand up my shirt as I block out the repulsive feeling. He gets my shirt half off before I hear a loud, very angry-sounding growl come from the doorway. Jackson jerks away from me to turn towards the intruder. I sucked in a quick breath when I see its Jared.

_Jared! He found me!_ I rejoice, but just as quickly, that feeling is replaced with horror.

_Oh no! Jackson will kill him! _I cry mentally.

Jared doesn't look afraid though, in fact, he looked down right furious. Jackson took one second to look at him and then he flashed towards Jared so fast, I didn't have time to blink. But just before he reached Jared there was an explosion from where Jared was standing. It threw Jackson across the room. My heart started pounding as I stared at what replaced Jared; a giant, furry wolf.

O_h my God! Oh My God, oh my god, oh my God_, seemed to be the only coherent thought capable of running through my mind right now.

The big, brown wolf charged into the room and head butted Jackson, who was up already up, and sprinting at lighting speed, towards the wolf. They ran into each other and wrestled. Jackson raised his head 'till it was level with Jared's thick neck and he bit him. The wolf yelped and shook Jackson off. I watched stunned as the wolf then, dug his teeth into Jackson's arm and twisted it off, but when he screamed and his arm came off, there was no blood. Suddenly, there were several other men and a woman in the room. A couple of them separated from the group and they exploded into balls of fur as well. The only thing I saw and heard after that was growling and bodies of fur struggling, and then the sound of crunching. Jackson was hidden underneath all of the wolves. Someone, a pale blond-haired man who despite, sharing some similarities with Jackson, looked quite friendly. He held up his hands and slowly moved them to the steel cables my hands were bound in. He gently pulled and they split like twigs. My eyes widened as one of his hands also came up and peeled the tape off my mouth carefully. He smiled at me and offered his hand for me to take. I sat up but refused his hand, shaking my head slowly. Looking over to the mass of fur fighting the man that kidnapped me, I realized they are done fighting and are all standing around something.

One of the men that did not phase walked over, taking a lighter out of his pocket and flicking it on. He then threw the lighter onto something which I couldn't see, and purple smoke arose from that area.

"What's going on? Where's Jared?" I try to say but I nothing comes out of my mouth. I haven't used my voice in so long, I can't talk.

I glance over at the wolves to find that they are no longer wolves, but people, Quileutes to be exact. I found Jared in the crowd and my heart soared. He was okay, he looked roughed up a little, but he was alive! He looked over at me with the familiar expression of love and adoration I had missed so much over the few weeks I had been in Hell. He strode over to me and gathered me in his arms, whispering sweet nothings in my ear. I breathed a sigh of relief, happy to be in his arms. Before I was kidnapped we had never really established anything. In fact, he had only noticed me the day before, but it felt right somehow to be in his embrace. He leaned back and let me go looking around at the people in the room. I kept my gaze on his beautiful face. Then I remembered something. My eyes snapped open wide as I remembered the other vampire, Elaine, she was probably somewhere nearby. Another pale-skinned boy that looked a year older than me looked over at me and then he murmured something to one of the Quileute man a few feet away from him. The man got a fierce look on his face and then commanded the others to follow him. The pale-skinned people stayed in the room with Jared and me. I frowned at them in confusion and the one who untied me stepped forward.

"I need to check her wounds," the man said to Jared who looked like he didn't want to let him.

I laid my hand on Jared's large forearm to soothe him. He looked over at me and smiled. He stepped over a step to let the man examine me.

"My name is Carlisle Cullen. I'm a doctor over at Forks Hospital. I just need to take a look at you. Where did he hurt you?" Dr. Cullen asked me.

I pointed to my throat, trying to indicate that I can't speak. The boy from before spoke up.

"She can't speak Carlisle. Her vocal chords are rusty."

_How did he…? _I think bewildered,_ he must have guessed or something_.

"Well, just point where he hurt you, then."

I point to my legs and arms and made a slicing motion. Dr. Cullen frowned.

"He cut you?" he asked me.

I nodded and then made a punching motion to my entire body, saying he beat me all over with his hands. Again the doctor frowned.

"He beat you as well?"

I nodded. Jared was shaking now. He looked very upset, so I rubbed my hand up and down his arm, trying to assure him that I am fine. He visibly calms and smiles his radiant smile again. It seemed Carlisle and red head boy from before were having a silent conversation during the exchange between me and Jared. After a moment Carlisle turned to Jared.

"You should take her somewhere for a while to be safe until we all catch Elaine. I think it's best if you tell her everything, also."

Jared sighs and nods his head. Carlisle and the rest leave the room super fast. They must be whatever Elaine and Jackson are. I know by now that they could not be human. This reminds me that Jared explodes into a wolf, making him abnormal as well. I look over at Jared and make a questioning face. He is giving me 'the look' and the expression falls off my face, replaced by a shy grin. He smiles widely and offers me his hand to get down from the table. I gladly place my hand in his and hop off the table. My feet touch the ground for less than a second before they give out under me and I slump towards the floor. Jared catches my body tightly and gently but firmly pulls me up before I hit the ground. I am limp in his arms.

"What's wrong with your legs?" he asks me alarmed.

I shrug, just as alarmed. A look of understanding passes through his eyes in the next second.

"You haven't gotten up in weeks. Your leg muscles are weak, that's all."

I nod in a 'of course why didn't I think of that' manner. He smiles and puts his hands under my knees and hauled me up bridal style against his chest. I looked up at him, shocked. He just smiles at me and carries me out of the room. I don't even look at my surroundings I just gaze up at Jared's face. Every couple of minutes he looks down at me and smiles. We reach wherever he took me, in a few minutes. He sets me down carefully making sure I can support myself before coming to stand behind me. I look around. I am in a small house that looks very homey. There is a large leather couch in the middle of the room, a soft plush tan carpet on the floor, and pictures covering the walls. I feel very safe in this room for some reason. Of course it could just be the amazing man next to me. A petite woman with black hair to her shoulders comes out of the kitchen and walks over to me. When she gets a few feet away from me, I get quite a shock; I see that she has three long, angry scars going down the right side of her face. I push away my shock though, so as not to be rude, and smile politely at the woman. She smiles back.

"Hi, I'm Emily. You must be Kim," she tells me opening her arms and giving me a hug.

I hug back awkwardly.

I haven't been hugged by anyone since I was little. She pulls back after a minute and smiles at me and Jared warmly. I try to speak to thank her but my voice still won't come.

"She can't talk right now, Emily, she hasn't spoken in weeks, so her vocal chords are a bit rusty." Jared explains for me after seeing my dilemma.

I smile appreciatively at him. Emily nods understandingly and motions for me to take a seat on the couch.

"Oh okay so why don't I just ask you yes or no questions? Here why don't we sit and I can find out all about you. I know quite a lot already actually. Jared has talked non-stop about you ever since he met you. Oh! Where are my manners? Would you like some tea? Or something to eat?" she rambles.

I shake my head no and look at Jared a bit surprised that he talked about me even before I got kidnapped. He avoids my gaze and laughs embarrassedly while guiding me to the couch. I sit down obediently and turn to face Emily.

"So how are you dealing with all the vamp-"

"Emily! I haven't told her about it yet." Jared cuts her off.

Emily blushes furiously.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I am just going to, uh, go do the dishes," she hurries into the kitchen.

I frown suspiciously.

_What was she talking about? _I think.

I twist around and look behind me at Jared. He is looking anywhere but at me. Now I am even more suspicious.

"I have to tell you something. It's kind of a big something," says nervously.

I nod indicating for him to continue. He stands up and leads me up off the couch and outside. I follow him, legs shaky with anxiety. We walk until we reach an opening in the woods. It is very open and there is a little body of water, too small to be a lake, on the right side of it. Jared stops us in the middle of it and turns around to look at me.

"Do you know the legends of the Quileute tribe?" he asks apprehensively.

I nod waiting for him to continue.

"Well, I'm…I'm a werewolf!" he blurts out, clenching his eyes tight.

My eyes widen and I stop breathing. I stay frozen like that for about five seconds before I blink rapidly and my breathing starts up again. I look at Jared to find him looking at me anxiously awaiting my reaction. I turn around so I can think properly without having to look into his eyes. Eyes that make me go weak at the knees.

_Jared is a werewolf? Ok that would explain A LOT of things_, I think.

I turn back around to look at Jared. I smile at him and step closer to him, twining my arms around his neck. I have to stretch up on my toes because he is so damn tall. His skin is scorching hot but it feels wonderful. He leans down so I don't have to reach up so much. He has a puzzled expression on his face.

"Why aren't you freaking out? I told you I can change into a dog and you don't freak out or even faint. Why not?" he questioned me.

I smile even wider and reach up even further. He frowns, confused, as I slowly ascend to his mouth. When my lips touch his there is a spark at the junction that travels throughout my body. Our lips meld together as he kisses me back. I detach one of my hands from its place at his neck and run it through his soft, curly hair. He moans in protest when I pull away. And as I stare into his twinkling chocolate eyes, I am caught off guard by a shocking realization.

_I am completely and totally in love with you, Jared Taqeem._

* * *

Review!


	12. Chapter 12

Please review! There will be several more chapters in this story, so keep reading!

* * *

A Cinderella of Sorts

**Jared POV**

When Kim pulled back from the kiss I moaned in protest. I had gone two weeks without her and I didn't want to be apart from her any longer. She smiled up at me as I gazed into her beautiful, milk chocolate eyes. She has the prettiest eyes I have ever seen, framed by thick, black lashes. I watch as several emotions pass through her eyes, but there is one that shocks me the most; love.

I already loved her, but I never expected her to love me back, not until she got to know me better at least. I feel very warm inside as I watch her high cheekbones flush a beautiful pink. She breaks the gaze and looks down at her feet in shyness. That's one of the things I find adorable about her, how shy she is. I put two fingers under her chin and tug it up so I can see her gorgeous eyes again. She flushes even brighter at my gesture.

"I take it you aren't afraid of me?" I ask her.

She clears her throat and it sounds as if maybe she can talk now. When she speaks her voice is scratchy and hoarse.

"No." she replies simply, with conviction evident in her voice.

"Why not?"

"You saved my life. I don't know why, but you did. I trust you." She explains.

I frown. "You believe me?" I ask in disbelief.

"It all makes sense. Your extremely hot temperature, the growth spurt, it all fits." She tells me.

I gape at her. No one had ever taken it so calmly.

"Don't you need to see some proof or something?" I ask her. She shakes her head. _Wow, how can she trust me this much? _I think amazed.

"There is more. Maybe you should hear the rest of the story, before you form a final opinion about me," I tell her. She frowns at me and waits patiently for me to continue. "The…_man_," I struggle not to call him something I'd rather not have Kim hear, "that kidnapped you, was a vampire."

She looks contemplative for a moment and then nods to herself as if this makes sense to her. I just frown in confusion again.

"He was so incredibly strong and so very cold. His eyes were blood red- a vampire trait I assume- and he was so pale. Elaine was like that too. Come to think of it, so was Dr. Cullen." she says, thinking out loud.

I nod at her. "Yeah, Carlisle and the other pale people you saw with him are all vampires. They are good vampires though, vegetarians if you will, they only drink animal blood." I say confirming her observations.

She nods and then looks like she realizes something. "Why me? Why did they pick me?" she asks with a look of dread in her eyes.

"Well apparently you are special. You hold this powerful thing in your body called The Phoenix. It is the power to control fire and it's sought after by many vampires, because it makes them immune to fire. We still don't know how he knew you had the Phoenix, but I guess how he knew doesn't matter." I explain the whole thing to her.

_Now_ she looks like she might faint. She slowly sinks to the ground and sits down on the grass. I sit down next to her, keeping a little distance. I didn't want to crowd her. Much to my pleasure, she scoots over closer to me and rests her head on my shoulder. I tilt her head up to look me in the eyes. "Are you okay?" I ask tentatively.

She sighs heavily. "Yeah, I will be as long as I have you." She says, her face blooming into a smile. I smile back at her. I am about to kiss her again when she speaks up. "Why do you like me?"

I clench my eyes shut. I was dreading telling her about the imprint. It is not always thought of as a good thing. I open my eyes and take a deep breath. "It's called imprinting. It's part of the tribe legends. It's where a wolf finds his soul mate. He sees her for the first time after the wolf change and as soon as he looks into her eyes his world shifts," she looked a bit disbelieving so I continued, "Everything else no longer matters: his family, school, friends. Everything revolves around that one girl. She is his perfect match. That's what you are to me, Kim, my world." I tell her, staring her in the eyes so she knows I am not lying.

Kim looks down at her lap and contemplates what I said. After the longest two minutes of my life, she finally raises her head and she has tears in her eyes. I panic for a second, worrying that she is in pain or something, before realizing they are happy tears. She smiles a watery smile at me before leaning up and kissing me passionately. I can feel the joy she pours into the kiss. I smile into the kiss and kiss her back happily. We pull apart after a minute of pure heaven and Kim is no longer crying, but glowing radiantly. I stand up off the dirty ground and pull her up with me. She pauses for a second to brush the dirt off her shorts and that's when I realize she has been wearing the same outfit she was wearing when she was kidnapped.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Kim! I didn't realize you have been wearing the same outfit for weeks! Come on let's head back to Emily's. She might have some clothes you can borrow until later." I apologize while pulling her in the direction of Emily's house.

"It's okay Jared. I didn't notice either." She says, giggling.

I can't help but smile at her. Her giggle is so cute. "Your giggle is so cute." I say out loud.

She stops giggling and blushes brightly. I shake my head in amusement and keep leading her back to Emily's. We reach it a moment later and I hold the door open and bow deeply.

"Ladies first." She giggles again and walks into the house. I follow and we walk into the living room together. I catch a whiff of blueberry muffins and see that Emily is in her natural habitat, the kitchen. "Has anyone else ever cooked in your kitchen?" I tease her.

She looks up from mixing something and grins toothily. "Over my dead body!" She jokes back.

Her smile brightens as she spots something over my shoulder. I turn around and see Sam. He is smiling at her and they look like they are in their own world. The rest of the pack members are filing into the house and finding places to sit. I sigh, it looks like they lost. When Sam pulls away from his embrace with Emily and turns to look at me and Kim, I can tell I am right.

"We lost her."

Kim sucks in a quick breath and I can hear her heart speed up, using my super hearing. I pull her into my arms and whisper soothing words into her ear. She shudders and then calms down as I place a gentle kiss on the top of her head. I glare at my alpha over her head. "What do you mean you lost her?" I growl at him.

"We followed her all the way to the treaty line. You know as well as I do we cannot fight over the line. The Cullens took it from there." He retorts, giving me a warning look not to start something.

I sigh and look back down at the angel whose head is buried in my chest. As if sensing it, she peeks up at me through her thick eyelashes. I give a small smile at her and then look back up at Sam. "Find her." I tell him. He nods at me. I turn to Emily who is filling up a muffin baking pan with the batter she was just stirring. "Em, can Kim borrow something to wear? She has been wearing the same thing for the last two weeks."

"Oh! Of course! I'm sorry I didn't even notice. Here follow me." She says holding her hand out for Kim to take.

Kim hesitates so I lean down and whisper in her ear. "It's ok. Emily is cool, trust me."

She nods at me and hugs me before walking off with Emily. I don't look at Sam the whole fifteen minutes that she is gone. When she comes back she is wearing a pair of blue-jean shorts, darker than the ones she just had on and a bit bigger. She is also wearing a white short-sleeved blouse that fits her to a T. On her cute size five feet are some white foam sandals. She is blushing fire-engine red when I look back up to her beautiful face.

_Oops, busted checking her out. _"You ready to go home?" I ask her.

She stops blushing and appears to think about it. "I'd rather not, but it has to be done, so let's go." She mumbles turning around and walking at a slow pace to the door.

I frown at her reluctance then I look at Sam. "Could you guys talk to the police for us? Tell them she is back?"

Sam nods. I smile appreciatively and then follow Kim who is waiting for me at the door. Together we walk outside and I realize I left my car at home. So instead, I turn to Kim and swoop down to knee level. I throw my arms under her knees and lift her up into my arms for the second time tonight. She gives a surprised squeak and looks up at me with wide eyes. I almost laugh at the look on her face.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

"I forgot my car." I say simply.

She frowns.

"Are my legs broken?" she asks me.

I bark out a laugh. "No! No, they aren't." I gasp between laughs.

She looks confused. "So why are you carrying me?" she persists.

"Because I want to," I tell her. I can feel her eyes on my face. I just look straight ahead. After a minute or two, she stops scrutinizing me and snuggles into my chest. I smile and keep walking along the side of the road to her house. We spend the next few minutes in comfortable silence before she breaks it.

"Ever since I was little I used to wish, more than anything else, for attention. And not in the superficial 'I –hope-he-likes-my-hair-and-I-become-popular' kind of way, but I wanted somebody to notice me. I wanted someone to ask me how I was doing. Someone to help me when I needed it," she told me quietly.

I knew she needed to get this off her chest, so I stayed silent. She paused for a long moment and a quick glance down at her confirmed she had tears in her eyes. I wanted so badly to comfort her but I could tell she had been bottling up her feelings for the last seventeen years. I pursed my lips together and listened supportively.

"I remember how, if I had a bad day, I would lie in my bed and chant as hard as I could to myself, 'one day it will happen, one day I won't have to live in an attic. One day some wonderful guy is going to sweep me off my feet and I will never feel ignored again. One day I won't be treated like a slave and I will be treated like a princess instead'. I never really thought I would get my wish." She finished looking up at me.

I am rendered speechless at her confession. I would say I looked like a fish with my mouth opening and closing and nothing coming out. Kim giggled at my expression, but then was instantly serious. "I thought you'd never come," she says blushing like crazy.

Again I don't know what to say. When I don't say anything for a second she looks down at her lap. "Hey." I whisper to her. She looks up at me shyly. "Sorry I made you wait." I apologize grinning and lean my head down to kiss her.

She blushes scarlet but meets me in the middle. This kiss is different than the others. It's sweeter somehow. I softly brush her lips with mine for several seconds and pull away. Kim slowly opens her eyes and then smiles widely at me. I smile back. We spent the next few minutes talking about my life because she didn't have much to tell, which made me sad. When we started talking about my parents I remembered hers and how they acted when I told them she had been kidnapped. Her mom didn't even try to act like she cared. When I thought about her dad I remembered what he told me. I stopped talking as the memory hit me.

"_I know I haven't always treated her right, but I do love her. She's-…, she's my little bumblebee, and she always has been," he starts, and my eyes widen at his request, "So if you see her before I do, can you…can you tell her I love her?"_

Kim noticed I had stopped talking and looked up at me. I shook my head and stopped walking. _I need to tell her what he said_, I decide. I gently set her down on her feet and steady her. She is looking at me confused. "I forgot to tell you something your dad told me to tell you." I explain. Kim gets a confused look on her face. "He told me, if I saw you before him, to tell you that he loves you and that you're his little bumblebee and you always have been." I say.

Her eyes widen and she gasps before I finish the sentence and then she starts crying. For a second I couldn't tell because she didn't close her eyes and her face didn't contort to one of pain. Tears just rolled out of her eyes and down her expressionless face. "He hasn't called me that since I was seven." She says, her voice breaking several times.

I reach my hand out and place it on her cheek, before wiping away her tears with my thumb. She leans into my hand and sniffles. After a moment, her tears completely stop and her face is dry.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask tentatively.

She nods. "Not right now though. I need to see him." she whispers. I nod and we walk the rest of the way to her house in silence, her tucked into my side. We reach it and I knock on the door, her mother's head popping out a second later. When she sees me she smiles flirtatiously, and I swallow back the bile in my throat. A second later she looks over my shoulder at Kim and the smile falls off her face, a sneer replacing it.

"So, you're back, huh?"

Kim looks down at her feet and lets out a meek 'yes'. Her mother smirks and turns around leaving the door open, inviting us in. I put a reassuring hand on Kim's elbow, when she hesitates. She looks up at me and smiles dazzlingly. I smile back and nod my head in the direction of the house. She nods, her smile fading in brilliance. She takes a deep breath and steps inside, me following her. Her mom is sitting on the expensive suede couch in the middle of the living room and her dad has just walked out of the kitchen with a mug of coffee in his hands when he spots us. His eyes snap open wide and the mug slips through his fingers, falling to the floor and shattering into pieces. "Kim." he whispers almost as if she is an illusion.

"Hey daddy." Kim whispers back. In the next second her dad has crossed the room in several strides, and taken Kim into his arms.

* * *

Heyyyy.. ssooo? Please review!


	13. Chapter 13

Please, please review! Sorry it took so long. Things have been hectic, what with me starting school and all. Anyway my 16th B-day was August 16th! So, as a present, PLEASE tell me what you think!

* * *

A Cinderella of Sorts

**KimPOV**

"Hey daddy," I whispered to my father.

He is standing across the room from me and not a second later he drops his coffee mug. I flinch as the pieces shatter all over the floor. The next thing I know I'm in his arms. I feel something wet on my cheek and I reach a hand up to wipe it off. It's a tear. I look up at my dad and see he is crying. He kisses my forehead and then wipes away his tears. I sniffle and that's when I realize I was crying too.

I miss him. I miss the dad I had, the dad who had disappeared when I was seven.

"I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry, bumblebee." He apologizes.

I frown confused.

_How was this his fault?_

"For what? This wasn't your fault, daddy." I tell him.

"No, it was yours. You should have been careful," my mom says snidely, walking forward to stand in front of me. "Now all the chores have piled up, the house is dirty and we're running out of fresh clothes." My mother interrupts my dad before he can reply to me.

Jared makes a gruff, rumbling sound deep in his chest and scowls at my mom. She looks appalled and takes a step back, which, if she wanted to keep her limbs attached, was wise. I tug on Jared's arm and bring him down for a kiss to calm him. He is still tense with anger for a moment and then relaxes into the kiss. I pull back and turn to my shocked mother.

"I will get right on that as soon as the police are done talking to me."

She sneers again and stalks away with an 'humph'. I turn back to my father and find him frowning in the direction my mom went. I clear my throat shyly and he turns to look at me.

"We need to talk, don't we?" he asks me.

I nod and purse my lips together firmly. I missed him and I am happy he cared I was kidnapped, but I haven't forgiven him for the last ten years, when he was gone, leaving me alone. He nods to himself and before I can tell him when or where the talk was going to take place, someone knocks on the door. I jump at the noise and Dad goes to sit down on the couch.

"It's probably the police." He says.

And not two seconds later another knock sounds out, along with a loud, 'Police, open the door.'

"I'll get it." Jared says and gently pushes me in the direction of the couch.

I stand by the couch instead of sitting, though. I have never been allowed to sit on it. Dad looks up at me confused. He opens his mouth to say something, but before he can continue Jared opens the door and two police officers step inside. I smile at them and stay quiet.

"We received a call that Ms Kimberli Birche has been found?" one of the officers says, voicing it as a question.

He has a beer gut and has balding brown hair. Despite the gut he is quite strong-looking.

"Yes. That would be me." I speak up.

Both officers turn their heads to look me up and down curiously. The other officer who has not spoken as of yet, pulls out a picture and holds it to the side of me, looking back and forth between me and the picture.

"It's her." He says in a deep voice.

I smile and they come further into the room. I step forward and gesture to the couch.

"Would you like to sit, gentlemen?"

The beer-gut one takes a seat on the couch next to my father, looking bored. The second officer, who is really tall and buff, with a blonde crew-cut, stands by the door. I squint at both of their badges.

"Well, Officer Ridges and Officer Bryant, what can I do for you?" I ask politely.

Officer Bryant, beer-gut, takes out a little notepad from inside his jacket, as well as a pen.

"Well first, who are you?" he speaks to Jared.

"Her boyfriend," he replies, jerking his head at me, not breaking his stare with the officer.

My heart sped up when he said boyfriend. Officer Bryant nodded after a moment and then turned to me.

"We need a statement from you about several things. Let's start with how you got kidnapped." He says as Jared comes to stand beside me.

I concentrate hard, trying to remember what happened exactly. It was a little fuzzy. It came to me when Jared put a warm arm around me and settled his massive palm at my waist, stroking small soothing circles on my hip bone. The motion relaxes me and I start to remember.

"It all started the night before…," I tell them the whole long story, editing out the inhuman parts and werewolf stuff.

I explained I was beat a little bit, but the bruises were made early on and they healed already. I couldn't exactly tell them I had some kind of power that let me heal super fast, now could I?

When I told them about how Jared saved me, it was edited A LOT. I insisted that the people who kidnapped me ran away when he rescued me, and that I never saw their faces. Telling the story made me uneasy and brought forward memories I would much rather forget. I just closed my eyes and breathed deeply, trying to not think about it. The man I was telling it to seemed to swallow my lies easily, as if he didn't care what really happened and just wanted to go home. Jared was nodding and confirming the truth of my lies the whole time. My dad just listened intently beside the officer. I finally finished my story after about twenty minutes. Officer Bryant appeared to have filled up the whole little notepad with my statement. After I was done and the officers left with a promise to file the report, I stared at the carpet, scared of what my dad's reaction would be. After a few moments, I couldn't stand the silence anymore and looked up at him. Jared squeezed my hip gently in comfort.

"Daddy, are you okay?" I inquired tentatively.

He is staring straight ahead and has a blank look in his eyes.

"I'm a horrible father." He says quietly without looking up.

I felt like agreeing with him but I realize I had already forgiven him for everything. I harbor no ill feelings towards him. I am struck by how clear everything is to me now. I know his work was no excuse to ignore me, but I can see he is truly repentant. I walk forward and drop to my knees in front of him. He looks down at me with sorrow-filled eyes.

"I forgive you." I tell him, punctuating each word with a silence. "I forgive you for leaving me all those years ago. I forgive you now, for what you think is your fault, but it isn't. I forgive you because you're my dad and I love you." I continue in the same firm voice as before.

His eyes fill with tears and for the first time in a long time, he smiles at me and I smile back.

~3 Days Later~

"So, it's all over? The police have filed the report and aren't going to bother you anymore?" Jared asks me.

We are on LaPush beach and I am sitting in the sand while he is sitting on a log right next to me. We have been here talking about anything and everything since eleven in the morning. It's now three o'clock. I nod at him and he smiles at me. That smile still makes my heart race and my knees wobbly. It's a good thing I'm already sitting or I would have totally embarrassed myself.

"That's good." Jared says, brushing a strand of hair that fell out of my ponytail back behind my ear.

I shiver at his touch. It has been four days since my rescue and Jared was attached to my side almost every second of each day. I am not complaining, far from it. I like being around him, and lately I have been praying that I will get used to his presence and not act like a total klutz all the time, because I have managed to trip, cuss, ramble, rant, and embarrass myself in many other ways ever since the first night. No such luck as of yet. He still makes me blush every other minute; he still causes my brain to get dizzy when he kisses me. I doubt Jared is someone you could get used to.

"Jared, have you guys…?" I start hesitantly.

"Found Elaine?" he finishes for me.

I clear my throat and nod; even though I am not sure I want to know the answer. Jared looks away from me and stares in the direction of the ocean, a frustrated look on his face.

"No." He answers simply.

Chills run down my spine. She is still out there and I fear she will come back for me. It may not be now, but I know she will come for me eventually. I hope I can be ready for her. Lately, I have been contemplating trying out my powers. The doctor vampire I met when I was rescued has come by once already to see how I was doing. Jared didn't like this and I had a very hard time calming him. I think the good doctor can help me with my powers because he seems to know a lot about them. I overheard him talking to Jared about them and what to do if they suddenly appear. I had planned to ask Jared today, but I keep chickening out. I'm afraid he will be upset about it. That's the last thing I want to happen.

"Jared, would you mind if I started trying to harvest my powers?" I blurt out without thinking.

I saw Jared freeze out of the corner of my eye. I kept my head down, shoulders hunched, with my eyes on the sand. I nervously squish it between my toes while I wait for his reply. When he doesn't say anything I venture a swift glance at him. To my surprise he doesn't look angry or even upset at all. In fact, he just looks to be seriously thinking about it. After a moment, he looks over at me and smiles. I smile back; his smile triggering mine automatically.

"That's actually not a bad idea. What do you want to use your powers for?" he queries, cocking his head to the side.

I sigh in relief.

_He isn't mad!_ I squeal internally. _That's just because he hasn't made the connection that you will have to work with a vampire, yet._ My other more pessimistic inner voice says before I can get too happy.

"I'm not sure what I would use them for. I just think maybe they could become handy at one point in time." I tell him.

"Okay. That's cool, I guess. I'm not sure how we are going to do it though. I don't know anything about how your powers work." He says.

I cringe internally but try to act nonchalant when I present my proposal.

"You know, that vamp doctor knows a little about it right? Why doesn't he-"

"No! Absolutely not! There is no damn way I am going to let you hang around a leech! It's way too dangerous." Jared interrupts, cutting me off.

He jumps up off the log he was perched on and starts pacing furiously in the sand. I stand up as well and try to go to him. Before I reach him though, he holds up his hand in a 'stop' motion. I can see the strain in his arms to keep his fist uncurled. He starts to rapidly shake, convulsing in a fast blur. I gasp and back up several feet.

"Jared what's wrong? Jared! Jared, please calm down before you phase!" I yell, panicking.

I guess the sound of fright in my voice broke through to his angry haze and calmed him, because he started to slowly stop shaking. After a minute or two when he had completely calmed down, I sprint forward and lunged myself at his brick wall of a body, he catches me. I hugged him fiercely and bury my face in his chest. He rubs my upper arms softly with his rough hands. I feel very safe in his embrace, and I never want to leave it. I know I have to talk to him though, so I reluctantly disentangle myself from his arms and crane my neck back to enable me to see his gorgeous face.

"Are you okay now?" I whisper quietly.

He sucks in a deep breath and then exhales slowly. As the air leaves him, I can feel the tension in his body leave as well.

"Yes, I got it under control. I'm sorry," he apologizes, an agonized look on his face, "I could have hurt you. It's just that the thought of you being within a ten mile radius of a vampire again makes me so angry. I won't let you get hurt again." He finishes with a look of determination on his face.

"But Jared, you know, what's- his- name won't hurt me! You said so yourself!" I protest.

Jared opens his mouth to deny it but then, he realizes he _did_ say it, and closes it again looking tongue-tied. I smirk inwardly, but take the opportunity to plead further.

"Please, Jared? I really want to learn more about my powers and their origins. You can come with me and protect me. We will meet on the boundary line or something just in case you guys need to fight or something okay? Just… please, for me?" I plead desperately.

He looks into my eyes deeply for what feels like forever as he searches for something. It seems he found it because after a while he blinks and then sighs quietly. I hold my breath in anticipation. He smiles down at me after a second and then he leans down, capturing my lips with his in a sweet kiss. Before I can get lost in it though, he pulls away. I blink dazed and look up at him.

"Alright, we can both go see him and find out what he knows." He acquiesces.

I squeal and launch myself on him again. I hear him laughing as I jump back quickly and leap up to peck him on the lips.

"Thank-kiss-you-kiss-so-kiss-much! Kiss-I-kiss-love-kiss-you!" I giggle punctuating each word with a chaste kiss.

He stops laughing abruptly and I start to wonder what is wrong as I pull back from him. And then it dawns on me, I said the 'L' word. I inhale quickly and try to disconnect from him while looking down at the ground, mortified.

_What if he laughs at me? Or worse what if he doesn't feel the same way? Oh God, I am such an idiot! _I mentally berate myself.

He clutches me tighter to his chest though, and I just keep my eyes cast downward.

"Kim, look at me." Jared finally murmurs in a husky voice.

I peek up at him from under my lashes, my cheeks flaming. He is gazing down at me lovingly, with a sparkle in his eyes. My heart starts racing when he slowly reaches a hand up to my cheek and trails his fingertips over my left cheekbone. He trails his hand all the way to my ear, sweeping some hair out of my face and behind my ear. He grins at me and cocks his head slightly to the side.

"I love you, too." he murmurs again.

My eyes widen and my chest swells up at those four words. I feel tears trickling down my cheek, as Jared leans in and presses his mouth to mine. I kiss him back fervently and slide my hands up to rest on his neck. He grips my small hips in his large hands and I moan at the feeling. Before we get too carried away he pulls back. I can feel how puffy my lips are as a result of the kiss. Jared leans in once more, placing a chaste kiss on my swollen lips. I smile shyly at him.

"Really?" I ask him quietly.

"Yes, really," He chuckles.

I blush, but smile at him happily. I pull my arms from his neck and lace one hand with his, leaving the other at my side. He squeezes my hand lightly before pulling me in the direction of the parking lot at the other side of the beach. I smile to myself and stroll with him. I lean my head on his shoulder as we walk. Even though I know Elaine is still out there, even though I still have the drama of meeting with the vamp doctor whose name I still do not know, and even though I was tortured and nearly raped by a sadistic vampire less than a week ago, I can't help but feel completely content, like I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

With Jared. Forever.

* * *

Pwetty pwease review? Lol, let me know what you think should happen next!


	14. Chapter 14

Hey all fans! I am so, super sorry I haven't updated in like, ages! The truth - and I know you hear this from a lot of Fan Fiction authors- is that I have been really busy with school work since my last update. And I also had humongous writer's block. But the good news is the block has passed, therefore I will be updating this story a little more often. Probably every week or so, that is, if you WANT me to. I'm not sure if this story is any good anyway, but I'm going to keep writing as long as I have some readers. Lol. Hope you'll enjoy this little tidbit. Please review if you have any comments, ideas, and questions, blah, blah, and blah….LOL. :)

* * *

A Cinderella of Sorts

**Jared POV**

It's been two days since my Kimmy wheedled me into letting her meet with the leech doctor, so she could learn more about her powers. I still didn't want her anywhere near their kind, veggie vamp or not, but I decided if it makes her happy, I'll go along with it. Doesn't mean I won't get overly protective of her though; kind of how I am right now.

We are at the boundary line, between our land and theirs, where Dr. Bloodsucker is instructing my Kim on how to coax her subconscious into allowing her powers out. It seems she can only use them when she is asleep or unconscious, which is making him visibly frustrated at her.

I am on the sidelines, not fifteen feet from her, in my wolf form, while the rest of the pack is behind me. When Dr. Bloodsucker snaps at her in frustration **(AN: That's very OoC of Carlisle I know, but it works for this story. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Carlisle and I mean no disrespect towards his kind nature.) **I snarl and leap between them albeit carefully, so as not to harm my angel, and glower at the leech who dared get mad at my Kim for something she can't help.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Jared calm down. I didn't mean to snap at her. I'm sorry," Carlisle said, apologetically holding up his hands in surrender, and backing away slowly.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the rest of his family who are waiting on their side of the treaty line, about twenty feet back, tense in anxiety. I can feel the rest of my pack also responding. I am suddenly aware of the voices screaming in my mind.

'Jared man, calm down!'

'I don't like it either man, but back off.'

'What are you doing, Dude? You'll break the treaty!'

'**Jared, stand down**,' that was Sam, and he used his alpha voice, thus I must obey.

Reluctantly, I sidle backwards not taking my eyes off the leech, while gently nudging Kim with my shoulder so she will follow me. She hasn't spoken since I jumped in front of her. I was starting to worry I had hurt her when her angelic voice rang in my ears.

"Jared," she spoke serenely, "it's Okay. Please let me continue with the lesson. You can stand closer if you like, honey."

Stunned and elated that she called me an endearment, I snorted an agreement and stopped moving backwards, letting her step forward. Before she went back over to Dr. Leech, she leaned up on her tippy toes and pecked my rough-haired cheek softly.

"Thank you," she breathed into my ear.

I grumbled the wolf version of a purr, and nuzzled her neck with my muzzle. She giggled and turned back to the leech.

"Sorry about that, Carlisle. He gets overprotective sometimes."

"I completely understand, and you have nothing to apologize for. It's just that my family and I are in a tough spot right now. I'm sorry I lost my patience with you. I know you can't help it," Carlisle said calmly, back in control.

"So, let's pick up where we left off, shall we?" Kim suggested.

Dr. Leech nods and smiles at her. I stifle a snarl when he steps closer to her to demonstrate something.

"You have to let go of your inhibitions. They are not conscious. Your body has special defences for itself, which are purely instinctual. You must try to let go of them and bare your powers," he said, "clear your mind. Breathe…in…out…in…"

**Kim POV**

"Breathe…in…out…in…" Dr. Carlisle coached.

He said something else but I was already gone, floating in a sea of darkness. I wasn't scared though. It was more of a placid darkness. Opening my eyes I stared into the oblivion. At first I didn't see anything, and then as my eyes slowly adjusted I saw a tiny green dot in the distance. I couldn't distinguish much more than the color from this distance though. The only other thing I could discern about it was it seemed sinister just glinting there, surrounded by a sea of pitch black. And then almost as if I had willed it with my thoughts, it started getting closer and closer.

I was suddenly struck by how very _queer _it looked. Craning my neck in a futile attempt to see it better, I was growing increasingly curious. When it was maybe fifty feet from me, it halted in its movements.

After a moment of stillness it seemed to grow in size, and it started morphing its shape; into what, I had no idea. And then in a flash of blinding white light it exploded silently. When I opened my eyes I was lying on the ground and Jared was hovering over me with a worried expression. His mouth was moving, but nothing was coming out of it. After a moment of confusion I realized he was speaking only I couldn't hear him.

"Are you okay? Kim? Can you hear me?" He mouthed.

I tried to reply, no I'm not Okay, but my mouth is numb and I can feel the words slurring together. Against my wishes, my eyes loll back into my head and I slump in Jared's arms, blacking out again. Except this time it's just black. The green orb of light is gone. And again, I'm floating; just listening to the soothing _thump-thump _of what I assumed was my heart beating in my chest. _Thump-thump... thump-thump…thump-thump…_

**Jared POV**

Beep-beep…beep-beep…beep-beep…beep…

I just sat there listening to her heartbeat on the monitor. I am at the leech's house, sitting beside my soul mate's hospital bed, in the doctor's makeshift hospital room.

After Kim blacked out the doctor said he wanted to bring her here to keep an eye on her, and see what was wrong. I protested loudly, but in the end I conceded because there wasn't a doctor better than Dr. Leech. Suddenly I was pulled out of my thoughts by Kim's heart monitor.

'Beep-beep-beep! Beeeep! Beep-beep!' was the irregular, rapid rhythm.

Alarmed I yell for Carlisle as I watch horrified, yet oddly mesmerized, as Kim levitates off the bed by a couple a feet. She is glowing turquoise, green in color, and it's pulsating out in waves from her chest. She levitates for a moment or two and then her body starts twitching. At first the tremors are infinitesimal, but then they began to get more and more violent as the seconds ticked by. I leap up from my perch on the edge of the chair beside her bed, and try to grab her to stop the shaking and the levitating. I don't get very far seeing as the second my skin touches hers I am shocked intensely.

"Don't touch her! You'll only make it worse!" I heard Carlisle yell from behind me.

_What the hell took him so long? _I think irritated.

"What the hell took you so long?" I yelled exactly what I was thinking at the leech.

"I was out hunting. It took a moment for Edward to reach me. I'm sorry." He apologizes, coming to stand beside me.

I didn't even flinch at the sickly, sweet smell the vamps carried around anymore. Instead I just interrogated him on what to do about my Kim.

"What do you mean I can't touch her? What the hell is happening to her? How do we make it stop!"

He just put a hand on my chest and nudged me gently away from Kim. Of course a vampire's idea of gentle and mine differ copiously, and as a result, instead of taking a step back I took several. Before I could growl, he apologized. I let it go.

"She's in what you would call an 'orthrobic state.' It's a state of her mind where she is unconscious, yet her powers are subconsciously manifesting themselves. If you touch her you will interfere with the process. The whole reason her mind is doing this is because it is senses that danger is near. So, it is trying to help her build up her power, in order to fight back whatever tries to harm her." He continued.

"What danger?" I probed, further agitated at the thought of someone or something coming to hurt my Kim.

"As of right now, I do not know. But what I do know is that we must leave her be. If you try to intervene you will only succeed in harming yourself and her."

I still didn't fully understand what was happening to her, but I sort of got the gist of things, and I would leave her alone.

"I am going to go inform my Alpha of the new developments. Please take care of her while I am gone," I whispered that last part, threading an air of gratitude into the request.

Dr. Leech nodded and I left the Cullen house to report to my leader.

'Hey Jared, what's up? How did it go?' Sam was the first thing I heard after I phased.

I replayed the whole conversation in my head, going over the details for Sam's benefit.

'Sam, what do I do? This danger that is coming, what if we can't stop it? What if I can't stop it?' I whimper nervously.

'Jared, it will be okay. Whatever this danger is, it won't get through to Kim without a fight. She is part of this pack now. Just as much as Emily is, Okay? We protect our own.' Sam assured me.

The rest of the members of the pack chimed in their agreement with Sam. Up until they spoke I was unaware of their presence.

'Thanks, guys.' I think with an edge of appreciation.

With my fears curbed I bid goodbye to Sam and the others and phase back. Sam is allowing me time off patrolling to stay by Kim's side. Just as I am buttoning up my cargo shorts I hear a blood-curdling scream coming from the Cullen house.

_Kim!_

I sprint into the house and up the stairs at an inhumanly fast pace. I bust the door off its hinges as I run into Kim's room. I expect Carlisle to be attacking Kim or something like that, but instead I find him staring at her with a horrified expression on his face. I follow his gaze to see Kim, still levitating and lightly twitching while emitting that glow, just like I left her. But what chills my blood; makes me freeze, and stare, just as horrified as the leech, is the fact that at the crease of her left elbow a thick, viscous, scarlet colored, trail of blood is gushing out. I break out of my trance looking to see if the leech is losing control so close to the scent of blood, but he is fine. Suddenly, Kim screams again, piercing the still quiet.

"Carlisle! Do something!" I yell at him.

As if snapped out of daze, Dr. Leech leaps into action. He grabs a bundle of medical materials and appears at Kim's side in an instant. I walk over quickly but keep a small distance to allow the doc room to work, even though everything in me wants desperately to push him aside and take her in my arms. He grabs a pad of thick gauze and presses it to her hand. Well, he tries to anyway. But just like me he is shocked as soon as he touches her. But shouldn't he be able to withstand a little shock? He's a vampire for crying out loud!

"The shock is too strong! Even for a vampire. It's amazing," Carlisle murmurs stunned.

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do?" I growl frustrated and worried.

"For once in my long existence…I don't know," he admits defeated.

My eyes widen in fear at the realization that even an ancient vampire doctor can't help her. So who can?

"Jared!" Kim screeches; voice full of agony.

I whimper and reach out to her. To my surprise, I am not shocked when I touch her skin. Snatching at the opportunity, I take the chance to place the gauze onto her still bleeding elbow, and apply pressure. Then I proceed to tie an elastic band around her elbow tightly to keep it in place. Immediately after that I try pushing her down onto the bed, all the while whispering soothing words in her ear.

"Shh, baby, I've got you. I'm right here."

Slowly but surely, I can see her glow fading and her levitation ceases, as well as her twitching; in two minutes flat she is peacefully lying on the mattress, sleeping serenely.

"How did you do that?" Carlisle questions me quietly so as not to wake Kim.

"I don't know." I reply back, just as quietly.

Before he could say anything else Kim started stirring. After a second she opened her eyes slowly.

"Jared," Kim breathed.

My heart stuttered like I am a prepubescent boy whose crush just smiled at him. I really am losing my manliness. And I don't care, she is so worth it.

"I'm here."

"Jared, it's Elaine," she whimpers, tears pooling in her beautiful chocolate eyes.

_She's far too pretty to be crying_, I think.

And then it hits me what she said.

"What?" I asked, anger and fear creeping into my voice.

"She's out there, and she's coming for me."

My heart stopped.

* * *

I hope you liked it! Again, sorry for the delay; I love all ya'll reviewers! And if you review within the next two days I will even update again in the same week. REVIEW= UPDATE!


	15. Chapter 15

Oh my Gosh! I am sooo sorry that I have not posted anything in nine months! I have no reason to give for that. Except that I was sooo lazy, I did not want to write anything. And I had no muse so it was really difficult. But I watched Nightmare on Elm Street the other day and it sparked a fire that created this chapter and a little of the next one ima post so thank Freddy Krueger! Lol. Please review, they make me all warm and fuzzy inside. By the way, I am well aware that this chap has many errors. My current beta is out on maternity leave and will not be available to beta for me for awhile. SO, if anyone of ya'll feels up to the job, I would love a new temporary beta! :) Please review! If I get atleast 5 reviews on this chapter by tomorrow night I will give you guys another chapter! :) PINKY SWEAR

A Cinderella of Sorts

**Kim's POV**

The sea of calm I was in after I passed out for a second time didn't last long. After what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, I saw the green light again. Except this time it advanced much, _much_ faster. In a burst of white hot energy and light I once again was blinded. However this time instead of regaining consciousness, I was thrust into a sort of vision. I was in a dark room. It was cold, musty and underneath my back the ground was gravelly. I sat up slowly, wincing as the sharp rocks beneath me scraped me in the process. I managed to stand up after much effort and look around. Suddenly, I heard a loud scrape. The sound was akin to someone dragging their key along the side of someone's car very slowly. I shivered.

"Hello?"

"Hello."

I screamed and jumped in fright. I slowly turned around to face the direction the voice came from. When I see who it is, my blood chills and my stomach flips.

"Hello, Kim. Long time, no see."

"What do you want?"

She laughs her tinkling bells laugh, but to me it sounds too shrill. She abruptly stops laughing and shoves her hand into me, pushing me back onto my back roughly.

"Your blood of course. And I'm gonna get it. I'm coming for you Kim. Sooner or later, so you might want to start making reservations for a spot in that shitty town's cemetery," she sneers at me.

She glares at me and as if she willed it with her eyes, I am paralyzed. I struggle to move anything, something but I don't get so much as a twitch or an eye roll. Elaine simpers closer to me and kneels down next to me. I internally flinch. She has a sinister look in her eyes, much like the one Jackson had. It terrifies me, because I know I am at her mercy. I also know that she has none. Elaine touches her fingers to my elbow crease and I notice she has long, sharp, purple-polished fingernails. I am brought out of my assessment of her nails when she digs her index nail into the crease of my elbow, drawing blood. I scream, and scream. She doesn't retract her nail she just presses harder, smiling down at me wickedly. It's almost as if she is deriving pleasure from my pain, I am almost sure of it.

"Jared!" I yell as loud as humanly possible, hoping that somehow, someway he can rescue me like he did last time.

To my relief and wonder after a moment of calling out to him, Elaine's face starts to fade out from my vision and the pain slowly subsides. And the gravel beneath me turns into something soft, like a pillow and I am no longer cold, but very warm. Before long, I slip into a peaceful abyss, once AGAIN. **(AN: LOL, I know she does that fade in/fade out thing a lot but bear with me. Plz). **The slumber doesn't last longer than a second this time. I feel consciousness creeping up on me. I flutter my eyes open and blink against the sudden brightness of the fluorescent lights above me. And then something is blocking the light, or rather _someone_.

_Jared_.

He smiles his beautiful smile and tells me 'I'm here.' Huh, I must have said that out loud. I can't pause to smile back; instead I feel tears gathering in my eyes.

"Jared, it's Elaine."

He looks dazed for a moment and then he freezes as if what I said just registered.

"What?" he asks, with equal anger and fear lacing his tone.

"She's out there, and she's coming for me."

He stops breathing all together and I reach out to grab his hand. His large hand dwarfing my small one as I gently squeeze it.

"Jared, what are we gonna do?"

He seems to snap out of it and looks at me. The adoration, and love in his eyes promise to protect me and keep me safe. And I trust him implicitly.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Kim. You are too important to me. Without you I wouldn't survive. Do you trust me?"

My heart melts into a puddle of goo at his words as I nod my head 'yes' to answer his last question.

"Good," he smiles and then leans down.

I close my eyes and sure enough two seconds later his soft lips are on mine. I kiss him back gently, still unsure of my technique as stupid as that is. I still feel really self-conscious when I kiss Jared because I don't want him to think I'm a bad kisser or something. I know it is silly after all we've been through, but still. I concentrate on how his lips feel against my own and decide to just enjoy it. His lips were warm and smooth like marshmallows…mmm. And then they were gone and my lips were still puckered. How embarrassing. I open my eyes and see him smirking at me.

"What?"

"Nothing, I just like that I can make you look like this."

I flush and imagine how I must look.

"What do you mean?"

"You look…I don't know, dazzled." He says cockily.

"Stroke that ego anymore and your head might explode," I tease.

He shrugs and then frowns, looking at my arm. I follow his gaze and gasp when I see that the injury from the vision.

"How did-what-…Jared how did that happen?" I stammer.

"It just appeared on your arm one second. We didn't do anything. Why? Do you know how it happened?" Carlisle chimed in.

I glanced over Jared's shoulder, at the doctor. I hadn't even realized he was here. I looked away from both of them and shifted on my back, pulling myself up into a sitting position. Jared after seeing what I was trying to do put his arms around me and pulled me up gently. I smiled at him gratefully. He gave me a crooked grin in return, but I could see he was freaking out on the inside. Sighing I told them about the vision I had. During the story, I can see Jared tensing up more and more as I explained what Elaine said.

"I think I know what's going on," Carlisle tells me, "Do you know how some vampires have special powers, Kim?"

I nodded. Jared had told me all this a while ago when he told me about the wolves.

"Well, it seems that Elaine can somehow distort the dimensions between reality and fantasy in order to propel herself into your dreams. It's a rare gift, but I have heard of it before."

"But how did the injury happen? It was just a dream after all," I inquire.

"Well, that's what I'm saying. It _wasn't_ just a dream. She is actually in the dream. Whatever happens in the dream happens for real," Carlisle corrects me.

"But then that means if she killed me in a dream, then-"

"You would die in real life," Carlisle finishes grimly.

Jared looks horrified and I am sure my expression mirrors his as we both stare at Carlisle.

_How am I supposed to sleep then? If she can just teleport herself into my dream and possibly kill me? _

"Jared, what are we going to do?" I whisper.

He doesn't answer; instead he silently brings me to his chest and envelops me in a warm embrace. He rubs his hand up and down my back in slow comforting motions as Carlisle tries- and fails- to assuage my fear as well.

"Kim, I honestly do believe that you will be safe, at least for a little while."

I pulled away from the warmth of Jared's chest to look the good doctor in the eye.

"Why is that?"

"I think that the whole reason she decided to invade your dream today was just to warn you, to keep you on your toes and make you paranoid," he explained.

I nodded my head slowly. I guess it makes sense in a weird way. I still don't like it though. And I probably will not sleep well for a long time. Unless Jared is with me of course.

Whoa, where did that come from? I think, while blushing furiously. Jared notices and gives me a curious look. I just shake my head at him. No way am I telling him I was thinking about sleeping in the same bed as him!

"Kim?"

"Huh, yeah, what did I miss?" I rush out, glancing between Carlisle and Jared.

"I said why don't we have the pack patrol outside your house for extra protection just in case?" Carlisle suggests.

I nod my head in agreement and smile at them. Whatever they think is best. They continue to work out their collaborative protection plans for me, but I tune them out. I run over the dream one more time, trying to make sense of it once more.

"Wait a second; you said earlier that the glowing thing was to protect her. That it was her powers' way of sensing danger and protecting her. Well how can it protect her from a threat that isn't physical?"

I looked up at Jared in curiosity when he voices this wondering what they are talking about.

"I glow?" I huff, incredulously.

"Yep, a turquoise- greenish color. It's really pretty. Like anything about you isn't," Jared scoffs at the end.

I blush and choose to ignore him. Instead I look at Carlisle for an explanation.

"Another part to your powers is a visible protection barrier that whenever your body senses danger it will rise up. Like during your dream, when you sensed danger-Elaine- your body glowed. You also levitated off the bed, however I am at a loss for how that plays into your powers," Carlisle explains.

"Cool," I grin.

Jared raises an eyebrow at me. I just shrug my shoulders wearing a sheepish smile. They continue to talk for about an hour. For the most part I tune them out, but every now and then I tune back in to hear them discussing what happened during my dream and what it could mean, for those parts I listened in. Eventually, they have nothing left to talk about and Jared and I leave once Carlisle gives me the healthy go ahead. I get to the stairs and suddenly Jared sweeps me up into his arms. I let out a short screech in surprise.

"Jared, Carlisle said I am fine. You don't have to carry me," I protest.

"Maybe I want to," he retorts, winking at me.

I blush ONCE AGAIN, and let it go. Curse my stupid blushing, Jared sees it and bursts out in raucous laughter. I make a 'humph' sound and cross my arms over my chest haughtily. This only makes him laugh harder. As soon as he stops laughing, he leans over and kisses my cheek.

_Aw_, I internally swoon_, how does a girl resist that?_

I sink into him and tuck myself under his chin. It's a perfect fit. Jared carries me all the way down the stairs and as we pass the rest of the Cullens I glance over at the redhead boy. Earlier, it had seemed like he could read my mind. I took a moment to look over him. He was handsome in a very boyish way, nothing compared to my Jared, but I can see why girls would swoon over him. As if he heard me the side of his mouth lifts up, almost imperceptibly, in a crooked grin as he looks at me. I grin back in a friendly manner. Jared tells me that we are walking back to my house since he left his truck at his place. I turn my head back into Jared's chest and snuggle into him, settling in for the long walk back to my house. He tightens his arms around me. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know, I am on my front porch and Jared is gently shaking me awake. I grumble and squish myself closer to him, refusing to wake up and move from my _very_ comfy spot. The shaking stops and I start to think I won when I feel hot lips on my own. I gasp and I can feel him smile against my lips. I kiss him back fervently, because kissing him is even better than cuddling with him. He gently licks along the seam of my lips with his tongue, requesting permission. I immediately grant it to him, like I would deny him, I scoff internally. My tongue is met with his warm one and they tangle together gently. I've heard you have to fight for dominance over the other's mouth, but this kiss was shared. We explored each other equally. Pretty soon, I began to feel a curling in the pit of my stomach, a yearning for something. I'm not quite sure what it was. I moan into Jared's mouth when he deepens the kiss even further. He pulls back and pecks me one more time before pulling away completely. I open my eyes and see him smirking down at me.

"I'm up now," I giggle. Nothing like a little make out with Jared to rouse a girl from her sleep.

"Why did you wake me up, not that I didn't enjoy it," I giggle.

"Because I am pretty positive you don't want your dad seeing me carry you in and up to your room," he grins.

My eyes widen comically as I jerk back to the reality that I have a father and a very protective one at that. Jared's right, seeing a large, hulking man carrying in his baby girl would practically give her poor daddy a heart attack.

"Right," I agree nodding my head and attempting to climb down out of his arms.

Jared tightens his arms around me and I look at him raising a confused brow. He just chuckles.

"That's why we are going in through you're window. I just needed you awake so you can hold on to me."

I giggle and nod. He gently shifts my weight and pushes me onto his back. I wrap my arms around his neck and my legs around his back. I can feel him purr if that's even possible, when I settle onto him laying my head down.

_Comfy_, I giggle in my head as a feeling of contentment settles in my chest.

As if he feels it and agrees, a rumbling purr resounds from Jared's chest.

He stalks around the side of my house and stops underneath my window seemingly contemplating how he's going to enter. I wait patiently. And in the next second he begins to use the route I always take: climbing up the thick ropes of ivy that curl possessively around my side of the house. He huffs in exhaustion when we reach the top and he sets me down gently in such a way I have to wonder if I was too heavy for him. I frown when that thought goes through my head. I mean I know I'm not super stick-skinny but I am not chunky either.

"What's going through that beautiful little head of yours?" Jared asks when he turns around after securing my window and locking it tightly.

He reaches a large warm hand up to my forehead and smoothes my frown out with his fingers. As soon as he touches me the imprint takes effect and I feel completely soothed and relaxed.

"Was I too heavy for you or something? You look exhausted."

Jared does the one thing I didn't expect him to do when I voiced my question aloud. He laughs. And I don't mean little manly chuckles, I'm talking loud, choking, rolling on the floor clutching your ribs, type laughing. It's completely irrational but I feel somewhat snubbed at his action. As if my question was totally retarded or something. I huff and cross my arms over my chest in an annoyed manner and cross my room to plop down onto my king- sized bed. Jared's hysterics die down after a few minutes and he follows me sitting down onto the bed he pulls me into his arms and rubs his warm hands in a soothing up and down motion over my upper arms.

"I'm sorry Kim. But even the idea of you being too heavy for me was hilarious. Not only am I a super strong werewolf but honey, you weigh less than a hundred and twenty pounds. You're not exactly a chunky monkey," Jared chuckles still smiling widely.

I blush at his compliment and chide myself for being so insecure.

"It's just been a long day is all, and I am ready to catch some dream waves with my girl."

I blush even brighter after that. Jared again laughs at my expense, but I can't really hold it against him this time. He finishes laughing much faster this time and we both recline on my bed and snuggle. Jared spoons me from behind and pulls me into his chest so I am pressed against him from head to toe. I have no room for shyness or insecurity at the new position because despite how long I was out of it today I am strangely sleepy and after a few moments of listening to Jared's even breathing and steady heartbeat and I drift off peacefully into slow easy dreams…or so I thought. I was so wrong.


	16. Chapter 16

Hey ya'll, here's that chapter I promised you! Even though I didn't get all the reviews I wanted -_- Hope you enjoy this one! I BETTER get more reviews this time! LOL

* * *

A Cinderella of Sorts

**Kim's POV **

"Kimmy bear wake up. It's time to get up," a familiar voice said warmly while shaking me gently.

I smiled up at Jared when I finally managed to open my eyes. I screamed when I saw his face.

"Jared! Oh my gosh, Jared what happened to your face!" I screamed, reaching my hand out to touch his cheek but I recoil before I make contact though so as not to hurt him.

"What do you mean, Kim?" He asks tilting his head to the side in what looks like authentic confusion.

How can that not hurt? Jared's beautiful face is covered in several little scratches with five very large gashes slashed across his whole face from left to right. And his skin is black and blue and mottled with what looked like small finger sized burns. I watch horrified as before my very eyes invisible claws rip a path down his broad muscled chest, cutting through his shirt, then skin, then muscles. The scars so far deep I can see his fucking _bones_. With one last swift and sickening gash I can see the contents of his abdominal area spill out of his body and onto my floor. I screech as some of his blood spatters onto my arm and scramble on my hands and knees backward from him.

"Jared. No, no, no Jared," I am sobbing uncontrollably now while reaching my arms out to him but not moving in his direction.

I squeeze my eyes shut at the agony spreading through my chest coming from watching my Jared gurgle and choke before collapsing onto my bed motionless save for the occasional spasm.

"Oh poor Jared, he really wasn't invincible was he?"

My eyes snap open and I gasp in fright. Elaine is standing on the other side of the bed behind where Jared would have been standing. My eyes are drawn to the thick syrupy looking trail of glossy red sliding down the entire length of her left arm. When I reach the end of her palm my eyes widen even further.

"Y-you-your f-fingers..." I trail off staring at the ends of her fingers in disbelief.

"Shiny aren't they?" Elaine giggled maniacally, bringing a slender claw up to her mouth and giving it an experimental lick.

She immediately spit Jared's blood out of her mouth and onto the floor.

"Ugh! Nasty!"

Her amber eyes flit to me again. She brings both hands up in front of her chest and extends her fingers. Her claws recede slowly into her nails and she gives me a taunting grin.

"Take a nice long look at your boy when you wake up, Kimmy. Because I promise, when I catch up with you it's going to be the last time you see him in one piece," she smiles menacingly.

She stalks leisurely around my bed coming towards me. I scream and frantically try to remember what Dr. Cullen had said when we were practicing harnessing my powers.

Deep breath, in, out, in, out. My eyes snap open and lock onto Elaine's still moving figure not three feet in front of me. She halts suddenly when she sees my eyes I don't stop to wonder why. I thrust my hands out in front of me palms facing her and summon as much of my power as I can and surge it in her direction. I watch in victory as turquoise-green tinted light burst from my palms and smashed into Elaine sending her across the room and through my wall. I scream in fright when I realize I can't stop the power surging through my hands and it is starting to hurt. My body is shaking and my muscles are on fire, my bones feel like they're breaking in several different places all at one time. Now I am screaming in agony.

It's just a dream, wake up, Kim! WAKE UP! I cry in my head, still yelling at the top of my lungs in high pitched blood curdling screams.

My eyes snap open when I am dropped onto a soft surface and I know I am awake for real now. Still in a panic the first thing I look for is Jared's comforting face. I find it across the room from me he is being held back by Leah and Paul. I glance up and find Dr. Carlisle standing beside my bed looking cautious.

I groaned lowly and rolled onto my side facing the doctor. I pushed myself up onto one hand and he took a step closer as if to help but I put my other hand up as a negative and he stopped then backed up again nodding his understanding. Peripherally, I can see Jared has stopped struggling and is now just watching me intently desperation and need plainly spread across his face as well as pain at seeing me in pain. My groans turned into loud wails of agony when I pushed myself up onto my hands and sat up against my headboard. As soon as I took the weight off my arms and back and relaxed against the headboard the searing ripples going through my body's muscles ceased as did my screaming. I lolled my head back and with a sharp smack it hit the wooden headboard. I barely winced. I can feel large beads of sweat rolling a long trail from beneath my hair to my neck and all the way down my soaked shirt. Gasping and panting heavily, I loll my head once more to the side and rest it on my shoulder. Glancing through hooded I eyes I take note of everything about Jared making sure he is in fact safe. He is. I breathe a quick sigh of relief amidst the heavy panting. My chest slows more and more as each minute goes by, about five minutes later and it is no longer heaving painfully.

"Kim?"

I languidly opened my eyes and looked to Dr. Cullen.

"Yuss?" I slurred.

He frowned and came to stand beside my bed once more. He put his hand on my forehead and quickly snatched it away when it hissed and sizzled upon contact.

Looking completely confounded he looked over to Jared and beckoned him, "Jared I need you. Come here for a second. Feel her forehead."

Jared immediately ripped himself out of the grips of his pack members and strode quickly to my bedside thrusting his hand out and touching my forehead. He gasped in horror and yanked it away as well.

"It's hot. Carlisle no human should be hot to us! We run a temperature of 108 for crying out loud for her to be hot to me means she is well over that!" Jared frantically spit out glancing at me fright clear in his eyes. Carlisle shook his head slowly and gave a weary sigh.

"I don't know Jared. See if someone can find a thermometer and bring it to me please. I need to see just how hot her temp really is. And can one of you get as much ice as possible? We need to br-" Carlisle's instructions were cut off when he looked at me again.

Jared spun around to look at me as well and he gasped softly.

"That wont be necessary, Carlisle. Thank you though."

It is as if my voice is not my own. And suddenly I know what I need to do. I smile at him from beneath my still hooded eyelids and raise both of my now glowing hands off the mattress and hover them over my chest. I close my eyes and my smile fades replaced by a frown of concentration.

I spread my fingers and flatten my palms out face down as the pulsating power beneath my hands throbs and heats warmer and warmer until it feels as if it is searing into my bones. I don't cry out this time. It is as if I am used to the bone-deep pain. Instead I focus all my strength and project it out from my hands and onto my chest. The beautiful shimmery turquoise drifts in a soft mist out from my palms and sprinkles onto my chest wafting down in waves to touch the rest of me. Despite the burning warmth at the source of the power the mist that settles onto me is quite chilly in a refreshing way. Everyone in the room takes several steps back and away from the bed as the mist drifts off the bed and onto the floor billowing outwards like a fog cloud before melting into the floor. They are all gaping at me like fish, it is quite comical. Well, except for Carlisle, he has more class than that.

After about five minutes my hands gradually stopped glowing and the mist ceased flowing. I rested my head for a moment still a just a tad spelled by the display of power but feeling otherwise completely refreshed. My eyes snap open after a moment and a smile explodes on my face as it finally sinks in that I am okay and so is my Jared and for now we are safe. I jump off the bed and throw myself into his arms, completely and incandescently happy at the moment.

"Kim, what happened to you?"

And now it is ruined again. Carlisle's bewildered question bringing my ghastly dream to the surface once more and though I am safe in Jared's arms, I know it will not be long before she comes to take him from me forever. I shudder into Jared's chest as I recall the sickening squelch his intestines made as they spilled out of his body and onto my bed and all over the floo-

"Kim? We need to talk about this," Jared's warm but firm tone broke me out of my reverie.

I peeked up at him coyly from underneath my lashes and met his loving stare. He grinned when he saw what I was doing. I put my hands behind my back and tapped my foot against the ground shyly.

"Do I gotta?" I whined lowly stretching out the word "gotta" playfully.

He chuckled but nodded his head yes. I pouted, sticking my lower lip out slightly and lowering my eyes to his chin demurely. He stopped chuckling and his eyes darkening with what I had learned was desire, zoomed in on my lips. I blushed furiously but kept teasing him. I put my hands on his lower abdomen and slowly slid them up his chest to his neck and wrapped them around. I stepped closer, kept the pout, but moved my eyes to his. I could see him gulp as his beautiful brown eyes flitted between my hooded eyes and my pouted lips. He gulped again when I batted my thick lashes once and then once again and pouted deeper leaning into him. I could hear Paul and Leah snickering in the background and I let my pout lift up a little on one side in mirth.

"You go Kim!" Paul hooted.

Leah seconded that and I burst out laughing ruining the little spell I had Jared under and he frowned shaking his head in confusion. Even Carlisle cracked a smile. But then I turn serious once more as the mirth wears off.

"I really don't want to talk about the dream, so instead I'll ask: why is everyone here? What happened while I was asleep?" I ask looking at Carlisle while sitting back on the bed with Jared to rest.

"It happened again didn't it?" I interrupt him before he can start.

He just numbly nodded and took on a look of contemplation as if he was thinking it over.

"I know why it happens now," I confessed looking up at Jared and then back at Dr. Cullen.

"Why does it happen then?" He queries curiously looking at me with fascination.

"It was like you said before. It is my body's defense. And it happens at will. In my dream I was able to channel my power and successfully use it as more than just a reflex defense this time it was a _conscious_ decision to use it and it worked."

"Do you know why you were in pain when you woke?" Carlisle asked.

Jared's arms tightened around my stomach pulling my back up against his chest protectively.

"The pain was like nothing I have ever felt before in my entire life," I whispered as I recalled, "The pain of what…Jackson did to me could not ever compare. It was a burning like fire. It felt like it burned all the way down into my bone. And it throbbed. Like….like my heartbeat. With every heart beat came a flare of the fire. I couldn't stop. That was the problem the power was coursing through my veins and out through my palms and I couldn't stop it. It was draining my life force and I don't know how I knew but if I hadn't willed myself to wake up I am pretty sure it would have literally sucked the life out of me."

Jared growled and the rest stayed silent though I could tell no one liked the thought. Carlisle grimaced and I smiled. Yeah you're probably wondering why I am smiling with all this depressing shit happening right this second…it's because I am just now starting to understand just how much these people love me. And I am truly happy at this. Jared raises his eyebrows slightly when he sees me smile but doesn't ask.

"Man, I am _starved_! Think we could get some steak?" I joked loudly to break the silence.

That did it. Everyone burst into raucous laughter at the suggestion. Jared's roaring chuckles shook my body causing twinges of pain so I sat up. Jared immediately stopped laughing.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, honest!" I shrug.

"Yeah well we really should talk about that dream," Carlisle gives me an apologetic look.

_Oh poor Jared, he really wasn't invincible was he? The smell…his blood…its metallic. Everywhere. I can't get it to go away._

"Kim?"

_Take a nice long look at your boy when you wake up, Kimmy. Because I promise, when I catch up with you it's going to be the last time you see him in one piece. She cackles. It echoes. My ears are ringing._

"Kim? Answer me," the voice pleads.

"Please, don't make me," I beg, avoiding looking at anything but the bedspread clutched between my fists.

"Please, just…please," I continue compulsively clenching and unclenching my hands.

Jared wraps his warm arms around my body over my arms and tucks my head under his chin.

"Okay," Is all he says.

It's all I need to hear. My lips curl into a small smile and I sink comfortably into my love, letting out a slow deep breath.

"But, Jared-"

"You heard her," Jared says with such venom in his voice, I could practically see the vampire-like glower on his face.

I giggle childishly.

"What are you so giggly about?" Jared teases me by wiggling his fingers against my sides just enough to make me squirm.

"Jared! Stop," I squeal between peals of mirthful laughter.

He smiles and concedes stilling his fingers. He leans forward and I close the remaining space. The kiss is warm and comforting.

_He's here. He's safe. Nothing is going to happen. He's here. He's safe._ That was all that I kept repeating in my head as I massaged his lips with mine tenderly. I pulled back after a few seconds and heaved a large sigh.

"Alright then, let's take this bully by the horns," I huffed out with what little courage Jared's kiss had instilled in me.

They all looked at me strangely, making no movement.

"What? Why are y'all looking at me like I am an alien who just suggested we all walk to Canada to pick pinecones from the evergreen trees while dressing up moose as chickens?" I asked dead serious.

_Again with the damn stares. What is this? A staring contest? _

Jared took one of his hands from my waist and put it on my forehead palm up. I smacked it away impatiently. They want me to tell the story right? I need to do it while I still have nerve.

"What in Dove Chocolate's name are you doing, Jared?"

"Seeing if you have a fever, and you obviously do just by what you just said," he chortles.

The group laughs with him. I just scowl lightly before shrugging and nodding that he's right. I mean I AM slightly weird.

"Ok, ok, enough laughing," I chided after a moment or two of giggling with them and they still hadn't stopped.

"Um, ok, the dream- no the nightmare- was basically me in bed and J-Jared was trying to wake me up. And-and, he had scratches and bruises and burns and-" I started hyperventilating.

"Kim, sweetie, I'm right here! Ok? Calm down, Kim. I'm fine," Jared assured me, rubbing circles on my hipbones slowly and kissed my hair.

My breathing slows back down, but not fast enough. Only one thing can either calm me or excite me depending on the situation. So I jerk my body around in Jared's embrace and smack a big one on him, earning about a thousand gasps from the room. The kiss was slow and wet, and Jared responds immediately, almost as if he knew I was gonna do it.

_Of course he knew. He knows everything about me, _I smile into the kiss.

"Ok, quit sucking face and tell us the damn story!" Paul and Leah yell in unison.

When they said it in perfect sync everyone glances at them strangely, but no one has wider eyes than the two reluctantly blushing teens themselves. They take small steps away from each other in embarrassment.

"Hmm, looks like you two should be sucking face instead," I smirk mischievously.

Leah and Paul both growled at me and in turn Jared growled fiercely back at them in warning. I snuggle into his chest and decide to ignore the obvious compatibility between Leah and Paul, but file it away in the rat's nest that is my brain for future scheming.

"Alright, the story. Elaine was there again, obviously. And-" I stop abruptly when I hear a strange metallic clatter after I stand up from the bed to pace.

Turning around I glance at the floor in confusion, searching for what made the sound and freeze in place. On the floor where I was sitting is a single shiny blade. A reminder. Suddenly I am not so afraid anymore. Just angry. How dare she threaten the love of my life? I felt my powers swell in my soul , reminding me of their newfound strength. With the confidence that this reassurance instilled in me I took a deep breath and told the story of my nightmare.

* * *

REVIEEEEW :)


	17. Chapter 17

Ok guys. I have no excuse for updating so slowly and I hope some of you are still with me! Anyways, I have a BIG bomb coming up in this story! So be on the lookout it should happen in the next few chapters or so. Please have patience with me on here. I got a lot of stress going on at home right now. Review! And enjoy!

* * *

A Cinderella of Sorts

**Kim POV**

After I had finished telling the story and everyone's jaws came back up from the floor, we all agreed to be more careful and that Jared would be sleeping in my room from now on just to be safe. That last census made me blush like crazy and avoid Jared's gaze; he just laughed at me and pulled me closer into him. I glanced at the clock on my dresser; the little green numbers glowed at 8:46. I inhaled deeply trying to calm my leftover nervousness from the nightmare and ushered everyone downstairs for breakfast.

"Dad?" I called out as I hopped off the last stair and the rest of the pack spread out into my living room to watch TV.

"Oh, your dad told us to tell you that he went to a friend's house," Jared informed me, wrapping his large arm around my waist.

I frowned. Dad doesn't have all that many friends that he would see this early in the morning.

"Did he say who it was?" I prod looking up at Jared.

"Yeah, he said an old friend was back in town. Someone named Nahlia."

Nahlia…the name is familiar…

_Screaming. Someone was screaming. _

_"It's okay sweetheart. I'm going to make all the pain go away," there was a teenage girl in front of me. She smiled at me and then there was a flash of brilliant green and then nothing. _

_It took me a few minutes to realize where the screams were coming from. Me. _

"Kim?" Jared asks slightly worried.

"Yeah?" my voice is croaky like I just spent hours on end screaming…like the girl from that memory…

"Kim!"

"Huh? Sorry, Jared. I'm okay. I just… had a strange thought is all," I reassure him and shake my head disoriented.

I wiggle out of his grasp and stroll into my kitchen to prepare breakfast for an army. The pack might as well be an army; I giggle to myself internally all thoughts from earlier being washed away as I take ingredients out of the refrigerator for eggs. I hum appreciatively when I feel a pair of familiar strong arms slink around my stomach from behind. Jared's spicy husky scent wafted around me and I felt his lips tenderly press into the hollow of my neck.

"You ok? You know you don't have to cook, baby. Those mutts can go scavenge food from their own damn houses."

I was lost after the "baby." It probably wasn't the first time he has used the endearment, but it was the first time he said it in that tone of voice.

He was needy. He had ulterior motives to getting everyone to leave. Sure, he was probably definitely worried about me inconveniencing myself to cook for everyone, but I can hear the undertone in his voice. He wants alone time. And if his wandering hands were any indication, we weren't going to be using that time to talk.

"You're not worried I feel pressured into making breakfast. You just want everyone to leave so you can feel me up you sneak," I laugh and grab his left hand which was trailing to my bum and dragged it back up into acceptable position.

I can _feel_ his pout and I'm extremely amused.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," he jokes.

"It wouldn't be if your friends weren't already here," I tease.

He groans.

"Hey! You guys wouldn't happen to have some manners and leave so I can make out with Kim, now would ya?" Jared yells into the living room.

There was a chorus of "no's" and "in your dreams" from the rest of the guys. I giggled and risked a glance at Jared. He was leaning against the counter by the doorway leading to the living room and sulking, pouty lip, puppy dog eyes and all. I couldn't help it. I just busted out laughing, bent over at the waist clutching my stomach and trying really hard not to fall over. After a few moments, I got a hold of myself and stand up straight and take a refreshing breath while looking at my sweet boyfriend in an apologetic manner. It's not unreasonable to desire some…alone time. But I was raised to be polite to the point of gritting my teeth and dealing with whatever I had to do that was undesirable. And I like the pack, they're my friends too and as much as I love kissing Jared, the nurturing mom-like part of me wanted to make everyone breakfast. So I resisted Jared's charm, a feat in itself because it was so..._alluring_, and continued to make the eggs.

Once I had cracked fifteen eggs in a bowl and stirred them I poured them in a heating pan before cutting up some bologna to fry up. After I finished scrambling the eggs I piled them on a big plate and fried the bologna until it turned black around the edges. While it was cooking, I prepared some bread in the toaster to put jam on when it was finished. The whole time I was cooking, various pack members got bored and kept venturing into the kitchen trying to get something a little early. I pulled an "Emily" on them and thwacked them with my spatula until they went away. Halfway through the eggs Jared got restless just standing around because he couldn't wrap his arms around me due to my near constant movement. I noticed so I dismissed him to the living room to play with his friends. He disagreed at first, but after a moment reluctantly acquiesced, giving me a kiss on the forehead and a pat on the ass. That last one made me squeal in shock and gape after him stunned. I shook my head and then went back to cooking. After about five minutes, everything was done and I was putting it all on the table for the boys and Leah when I saw something outside. All I saw was a flash of green go up into the sky, but it sparked something in my mind. I feel like I've seen it before…

_"KIM! Leave her alone Blackwell! Don't you dare touch her!" a male voice screams from somewhere nearby. _

_All I can hear is yelling and cries of pain and anger. And my heartbeat. Its thumping languidly in my ears despite the chaos, I'm calm. It feels like the world is shaking and crumbling around me. All of a sudden someone abruptly falls to their knees at my side. It's a girl, the same girl as before. She's got long, black hair, but her face is blurred. I can see she is bleeding on her stomach though. A stab wound, I think. And she has a pretty green glow. So pretty, is all I can think. She runs her hands over me lightly, I assume checking for injuries. And then she lets out a piercing, calling yell with her head up in the air. A burst of green light breaks through the concrete ceiling and shines over her in response for a moment and then it's gone. She looks back down at me and I can see her blurred mouth moving, but I can't hear anything but gurgles and mumbling. _

_I shake my head 'no' in the memory; obviously I had heard her then. She then puts her lips to my ear and covers my eyes as she says something to me. This time I can hear her. _

_"Don't watch. They'll take care of them. I'll see you again someday. Count to ten and when I uncover your eyes, everything will be alright okay?" _

_I nod timidly, my leg is throbbing, and my head is pounding. I have to concentrate to remember the numbers one through ten. _

_"O-one…two…three…f-four…five…six…s-seven…eight…nine…" _

_*whoosh* _

_It feels like I am being sucked into a tube head first and then being dropped out of thin air. All I can see is the pretty, turquoise green that I glow when I use my powers. And then…nothing. _

Gasping I blink my eyes and I'm back in the kitchen, staring out the window. The green flash was long gone. But I have to look. I need to know what it was. These visions, memories or whatever they are, are killing me. It feels like there is a hole in my soul. No, like there are several tears and punctures and they're covered with band aids. Like the pain is one small rip away and I will remember what it is I have been so desperately trying to remember.

"Breakfast!" I call out after regaining my bearings.

"Whoo! Thanks, Kim. This looks great." Embry whoops and the rest chime in their agreement.

I smile and walk up to Jared quietly.

"Hey, I'll be right back okay? I'm going outside for a moment. Don't worry; I'll be with in hearing distance."

He gives me a worried look anyway and stands to follow me.

"No, sit. Eat. I'll be fine, Jay." I shoo him back into his chair.

He frowns and pouts a little bit but obliges me. Smiling, I kiss him on the cheek and step outback, ready to step into the woods.

"Kim," comes a whisper on the wind.

I freeze and cock my head to listen.

"Kim." That definitely was not the wind.

I jump and twirl around quickly. I can see the house from here; I'm only about ten feet into the woods. But standing between me and my escape, is a tall, raven-haired woman who looks about three years older than me.

"You. I know you." My eyes widen.

"Yes, and I know you, Kim. I am so pleased you remember me." She smiles.

"What is your name?"

"I can't reveal anything at this point. But the time will come very soon when I tell you everything about who you are and what happened to you when you were a child."

"What do you mean what happened to me? What happened!" I am getting really confused.

"All in good time, Kim. But just know this: you are not alone. There are many others like you. Like me. Don't give up on your powers. Keep trying. And I will see you again very, very soon."

"Sounds familiar," I bite back, agitated from being left out of the loop for so long.

She just smiles apologetically and _disappears_ right there into a flurry of green sparks.

I am stunned. I can't think.

"Kim! Are you okay?" Jared is yelling while sprinting towards me.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't smell her. I couldn't hear her either! I don't know what happened. I could see her, but it's like her smell and voice was clouded. Almost like she wasn't even there. What did she want?" Jay babbles nervously.

Looks like I got a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

Hope you like it! Please Review!


	18. Chapter 18

Hey guys, I know, I know, I am the WORST person in the world! It's been MONTHS and I really have no excuse, sure I had college going on, but I should have made time for even a nibble of a chapter. So, I am very sorry for this late update but I hope I still have a couple followers! Here's the new chapter.

* * *

A Cinderella of Sorts

**Kim's POV**

"Jared, there's something I have to do-"

"Yo, Jared! Everything all right down there?" Embry shouts, interrupting me.

My eyes widen, and I panic. I'm not ready for them to know yet. Jared hesitates, seeming to pick up on my feelings, and although I am sure he doesn't like it, he waves Embry away.

"Yeah, I think so. False alarm I guess; it was nothing."

I smile with closed lips, peer up at him gratefully, and hold my hand out for him. He grasps it quickly in his large one, and hugs me closely.

"Are you gonna tell me?" he whispers into my ear.

I nod into his chest, "but not yet. Please, Jared, I don't even have all the pieces myself. I know it has something to do with something that happened to me as a child, and to my powers, it's all wrapped together, but I don't know how yet."

"Okay," his body is rigid, and I know he is worried, but he's sincere, "when you're ready. Promise me."

Oh _Taha Aki_, I don't deserve him.

"I promise," I whisper back.

He gives me a half-grin and then leans down connecting our lips softly.

"Jared," I whisper when I pull away, "I can't say for sure, but…I think part of this big secret I am trying to unwrap is that something happened and I was taken from my family…and molested when I was a little girl."

Before I even finish, Jared is already vibrating rapidly, growls rumbling from his gut up to his chest. He grabs my upper arms, and forcefully but still gently moves me back a few feet before stepping backwards, closer to the woods. At this point, I have realized what set him off, and I take a step forward to comfort him like I normally would.

Except this time it's different. He barks sharply, and shakes his head rapidly from side to side at me. Stepping further into the forest he turns, and sprints faster than I can follow with my eyes. A few moments later I hear a piercing wolf howl.

And my heart hurts. Because he…rejected me. He'd never done that before. And it _hurt_.

But, as I stood there, staring blankly after him I knew deep down that he was just protecting me, as usual. That he didn't want me close because he didn't want to hurt me. But it still hurt; put an ache in my chest and a crack in my heart. It was irrational, but feelings never are, are they?

I sighed, and decide to wait for him in the house. Turning around, I see the entire pack has piled out of my house and are staring at me confused. I shrug.

"He just needed to go for a run," I smile bleakly.

They don't look like they buy it, but something in my face makes them fake it for my sake.

"Cool, I'll just go run with him then," Seth chirps, "I got next patrol anyways. See ya later, Kim"

He kisses my cheek in a brotherly manner as he passes, and I give him a real smile. He really is a sweetheart. After he disappears, the rest of the pack, minus Emily and Sam, disperse, some going to Emily's no doubt to beg for _more_ food, or to go home and sleep before their next patrol. Only Embry stays behind. He leans against the jamb of my back door, and gazes at me intently. It's strange, but not exactly invasive. He lets up after a moment, and nods his head inside before turning to go in. I follow slowly. Embry has become a really good friend surprisingly, and I know that he can probably see that I'm not okay.

"Are you okay?"

I shift in my spot on the couch, uneasily.

"Yeah, I just said something about the kidnapping, and Jared got upset again, and I really should have known better I guess," I sigh, giving him a half-truth.

I _did _say something about the kidnapping, just not the one he's thinking of.

"Hey," he pokes my side, "you know he's just protecting you right?"

"Huh?" I'm confused.

He chuckles deeply, "Kim, you tried to calm him down right?"

Wow, okay so maybe he knows me a little better than I thought.

"And he didn't let you, right? And now you're upset, even though you know it's not rational," he says.

"Uh, yeah, you pretty much hit the nail on the head," I roll my eyes.

"He didn't want to hurt you. Don't upset yourself; you know he loves you more than anything right?"

I nod reluctantly, chin down.

"Then, that's all that matters," he puts a finger under my chin and pushes it up, "He'll be back soon. I should get going; I haven't seen my mom since yesterday morning."

"Thanks, Embry," I smile at him thankfully.

He just smiles back, and heads for the front door.

"Hey, Embry" I call before he's completely out the door.

He stops halfway on the porch and pokes his head back in.

"Yeah?"

"How'd you know all that? Like read my mind or whatever," I clarified.

He's looking at me now, head tilted to the side, and suddenly…I just _know_.

He shrugs, gives me a crooked grin, and closes the door behind him.

But it was enough. I saw what I needed.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," I murmur in the quiet.

"_Kimmy, come on! We're gonna miss it!" _

"_Miss what?"_

"_DUH! The fireworks! Remember silly? They go off every fourth of July, dummy."_

"_Hey! Don't call me a dummy, you big bully!" _

"_If you gonna come with me, put down your Barbie doll, and let's go!"_

"_Whatever, Embry."_

"_What about mommy and daddy? Are they going too?"_

"_Nah, they're off doing stupid grown-up stuff, but don't worry. I'll never leave you alone! It'll just be you and me, 'til pigs fly!"_

_He brings up on of our old inside jokes. _

_"And ya know, pigs can't fly right, sissy?" _

_"DUH!" I smile._

_An echo of my own childish laughter. Giggles, and grins. Innocence personified._

_If only it could have stayed that way._

I blink, and realize, I have tears running down my face.

Sniffling, I wipe them away hastily, and go to the kitchen to do dishes until Jared returns.

_Embry_, I exhale, _oh Embry why didn't you say something_?

I am broken out of my reverie, by the sound of footsteps crackling on the gravel driveway in front of my house. I wouldn't have heard it if I hadn't been standing still in contemplation. But I had, and the pack never entered through the front. They always went through the back door because they usually came from the woods. Besides, they just left. Maybe somebody forgot something?

_Yeah, right_, Kim.

"Jared?"

No answer. The footsteps have stopped.

I open the door and simultaneously call out hello. Despite how stupid that is, I'm hoping it is Jared.

I shut the door after a moment and turn around, running into somebody.

I scream. The person puts a hand over my mouth and the first thing I register is that it's warm. I open my clenched eyes and my eyes nearly roll back into my head in relief. I pull his hand away from my mouth and smack his chest lightly.

"Don't scare me like tha-"

He cuts me off with his hand on my mouth again. Then brings his other hand up and puts his index finger to his mouth in the universal sign for "shh." I nod up at him, eyes wide.

So it wasn't Jared's presence I felt.

He removes his hand and presses me gently against the wall of the door, pressing firmly when I shift even a little. I get the message, "Stay here."

I nod again to let him know I understand.

He looks at me anxiously before walking swiftly, but so very silently, through the house, and out of sight.

My heart feels like it's going to beat right out of my chest. Elaine. Oh, my God, what if it's Elaine?! She's going to kill him. Please, God, please, no. I whimper in my head, tears welling in my eyes as I think of all the gruesome possibilities of what she'd do to him. I want to throw up.

_Take a nice, long look at your boy when you wake up, Kimmy. Because I promise, when I catch up with you, -take a nice, long look at your boy-Oh, poor Jared, he really wasn't invincible was he? It's the last time you'll see him in one piece-one piece-one piece…_Elaine's shrill voice echoes in my mind.

"No," I puff out between heaves of my chest, "no! Jared!"

I can't let her hurt him! No, no, no, no, no, NO! I trip and hit the floor as I scramble to go after him. He couldn't have been gone more than a minute or two but my house is small, what if she was here, what if-

"Kim!" Jared screams.

But it's all wrong. His voice is wavering, and coming in and out, like there's bad static interference.

He is in the room now.

I gasp; his back is to me because he is backing up slowly into the room.

"Jared!" I cry holding my stomach with my arms.

"Kim, Kim everything's okay," Jared soothes.

"Jared, no, no Jared, it's not," I wail.

He hasn't turned around yet.

Elaine steps out from in front of him, claws retracted in one hand, but extended in the other. She holds the clawed hand out to me, palm up, and grins, her teeth glinting malevolently in the low light of my living room.

"Just go with her, Kim. You're just not worth this!" Jared shouts, suddenly turning around to growl at me.

I gasp. At his words. And his eyes.

They're black. Black holes.

"Jared," I sob, "Jared, what happened to your eyes?"

Elaine smiled.

"I told you, Kimmy," she holds out the declawed hand, it is in a fist shape.

"To take a good look at him, because the next time I see him, I am going to take one thing after another."

She steps forward once more, and I crawl backwards frantically.

"I'm going to make it slow, and so…very…painful," she punctuates each word with silence, "And not even those childish little powers of yours can save him."

She holds her hand de-clawed hand out and opens up the fist, showing me what's inside.

I think I'm going to be sick.

Because in her hand, are two bloody, brown eyes staring lifelessly at me.

Jared's eyes.

He is sitting at her feet now, like an actual dog waiting for its owner's orders.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, a voice is telling me this can't possibly be real. It just can't.

"Oh, Kimmy," Elaine sings.

I clench my eyes and try to ignore her.

"Kim!" but this time it's not the same voice.

My eyes pop open, but Jared's mouth isn't moving.

"Kim, wake up."

Elaine's smirk fades, and she huffs out a breath.

"Well, damn. That's inconvenient. Guess I should be going now. Wouldn't want you thinking you can actually try a stunt like last time," she growls at that last part.

What? What's going on…?

My mind is fuzzy; Elaine and blind, unseeing Jared are blurring before my eyes. A familiar green glow fills my vision, and I have the sudden flash back to what Jared had said; that I didn't listen to before.

"_You're just not worth this!"_

Just before it fades to black, I have a sudden epiphany.

My eyes snap open and I sit up with a jerk, nearly smacking right into Jared's face hovering over me.

I shakily take in my surroundings. I'm on the couch, where Embry left me. I guess…I fell asleep before I started the dishes…

I turn to Jared and examine him carefully. He appears to be intact, so I launch myself into his arms.

I could cry with relief. And I do. Fat, sloppy, hot tears are running down my cheeks, and I am making an embarrassingly loud keening noise, whilst hugging him to me as tightly as I can. He is making soothing circles on my lower back, and whispering sweet nothings in my ear. I intertwine my hands through his hair; my legs go around his waist, my head fitting perfectly into the crook between his neck and shoulder.

And I sob.

Because no matter what, no matter how many times he may accidently hurt my feelings, no matter how many times I feel insecure or not worth him or his time_, I know_. It's that epiphany again.

That I _am_ worth his time, no one will ever come between us, and I will never let him leave me, and I will always love him and he will always love me.

Because he is my sun and my moon.

And I am his world.

* * *

Yay. So Kim finally gets over it all and understands that deep down their love is all that matters. 3 Yes it was all a dream after embry left except for that memory with him in it. Sooooo tell me what part you think Embry plays in this? Please REVIEW!


End file.
